Review: Kelvin Campervan's Midlife Crescendo - Melbourne Fringe

Rupert Burns is Kelvin Campervan. Or is Kelvin Campervan Rupert Burns? They seem to get along pretty well in the one body, but can never quite decide who is the artist and who the creation. The one man show explores the nature of a person's relationship with themselves and their history. It is set from the vantage point of mid life, but even at my age of 21 I was inspired to be existential about my own history of years and to ponder their value, as well as the missed opportunities I have already tasted.

I would have to compare the performance, to any Harry Potter fans out there, to the 'ridikkulus' spell. This magic is designed to defend against the mysterious being called the 'boggart', that tends to hide under beds and in cupboards, and transforms into people's greatest fears when discovered. The spell 'ridikkulus' works by altering this fear, forcing the boggart to take on a ridiculous aspect. For example, if you are terrified of giant spiders, then the giant spider will now be wearing roller skates and slipping all over the place. The thing boggart's hate most is laughter, and when you laugh, it loses its power.

Burns hit flush those existential fears that will attend us all in our lives with his magic. He has very successfully converted that profound unease at ageing, missed opportunities and faded dreams into laughter and contentment. He shows us the other side of the abyss, which is still an abyss, as Kelvin reminds us - 'I learned that there was no ceiling to the universe...I also learnt there was no floor'. It is a very true sort of freedom he describes. Burns achieves his aims through the most unusual, hilarious and quietly beautiful ways.

We witnessed Kelvin levitate before our eyes, contort his body into the most freakish positions, devour his own tongue and order a group of perfectly trained wonderdogs to literally jump through hoops as he willed it. I won't ruin the performance, but know that while these amazing feats are in one way completely flawed, for me, they emphasised a simple and elegant critique on our existence. Such amazing things we dare to aspire too in youth: I wanted to be an astronaut, for example, and an artist that was famous by the time they were eighteen, and also, an AFL star.

I didn't do those things, and yet, even though I essentially dreamed to levitate, as Kelvin does, I did something which was equally as funny, exciting, interesting an engaging for myself and those around me. And that is, as surprising as that is, sufficient. Things will get sad at times, as the best theatre and comedy does. For when Kelvin gets you laughing again, it is so much sweeter.

Kelvin Campervan's Mid-life Crescendo is playing until the 23rd of September showing every day except Monday between then and now. It's a short and highly palatable show at only 45 minutes long, so prepare for a wild and bright adventure that is guaranteed to please.

Written by Jim Thomas.

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