Review: My Last Two Brain Cells, Fringe 2024

As a freshly born hormone barely a few seconds old, I was seated for my tour of the brain. Things started to go off the rails when the neuron in charge of the immaturity department turned up.

Here’s a question or two: Does being immature make life worse? Does it help cope with a harsh life?

Joe Pike and Tom Hazeldon play Gary’s last two brain cells, and they, assisted by the appropriately feminine voice of Testosterone from the back of the room, held my attention for the entire hour. This is not an easy thing to do. I have a mind like a maelstrom.

Billed as an absurdist character comedy, “My Last Two Brain Cells” lives up to the mark. It’s absurd but does not go off the wall with surrealism. I’ve had more abstract scenes in this Fringe, a drama about the financial dangers of soil erosion to coastal communities. Gary’s last two brain cells’ perils are real, and you won’t ever wonder what the problem is.

You won’t ask, “What are they doing now?”

You might well ask, “Why are they doing that</em?”

Some brain cells cope better under pressure than others.

Tone

This show has a bit of everything: fights and romance, danger and science, breakups and make-up.

Despite all that danger, even as punches are thrown, Joe and Tom work hard to keep the audience engaged and reassured. Oh sure, in the many instances of audience engagement, a silly suggestion from you might be sacrificed on the altar of a quick joke at your expense, but they’ll loop reassuringly back so that by the end of the gig, you’ll likely feel it was worth it.

I rarely sit in the audience thinking, “Oh, pick me!” and I did here.

It is a late-evening show, starting just after 8 p.m., so it shouldn’t have too many people who are too drunk. However, it is recommended for ages 12 and up. I think that’s about right. Not that the language is that foul or the scenes that traumatically weird, but I certainly appreciated getting to be immature with fellow adults.

What to expect

Expect to climb lots of stairs and for some audience engagement. Underbelly’s Iron Belly isn’t a venue I’m in often, but I liked it. With appropriately stacked seating, I only struggled to see on one occasion when both comedians were down on the floor.

Mind you, both comedians charge around, vanish up the aisle, between the stairs, behind the curtains and among the crowd.

A few paragraphs earlier, I said the language wasn’t too bad. I guess that’s subjective. The audience chanted the f-bomb for a good chunk of a scene. It’s cathartic.

If you’re a Portal fan, you should expect chilly GLADOS vibes too.

Importantly, My Last Two Brain Cells isn’t a standup or sketch show. It’s a long-form narrative comedy; you’ll have had a whole story by the end of the hour. You’ll have been a part of it.

Overall

My Last Two Brain Cells was a very rare last-minute logistics shuffle for me. Had one plan not fallen through, I would not have been a hormone touring the brain.

I don’t wish last-minute cancellations on anyone during the Festival season, but my “Why the heck not? My Last Two Brain Cells is on at pretty much the same time, and I can go there instead” worked out big time for me.

I recommend the experience. Go see My Last Two Brain Cells. Don’t buckle up because you’ll need to be quick on your feet, but brace yourself for a ride.