Peter and Chris: Here Lies Chris - Fringe Famous Comedians Riding Their Laurels
Peter and Chris: Here Lies Chris is a 60 minute sketch comedy show performed by the Fringe-famous Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson at Pacific Theatre.
I went into this show with very high expectations for these guys. They often feel like the flagship comedy show of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and I’ve heard fans toot about how great they are. The amount of awards they have won is impressive.
It’s a solid sketch comedy show. Peter and Chris create a well-structured and paced story where Peter accidentally kills Chris and must cross several dimensions to find a replacement best friend. There are lots of great gags here—hilarious miming, poking fun at Hollywood tropes, well-timed use of classic movie soundtracks. It's everything you would expect from a sketch comedy show.
It’s very accessible comedy. I was able to predict some of the jokes without hearing the punchline, but a lot of them landed as honest, true and surprising. It takes the guys a few minutes to warm up—the mimes were a bit rusty 20 minutes into the show. The energy seemed a bit off too—I was sitting at the back of the theatre, so perhaps it couldn’t reach me, but it feels too relaxed, too much like clockwork. It didn’t come packed with the explosive bells and whistles of an opening night.
But it’s a show of two experienced sketch comedians and their talents are demonstrated through the consistently funny, inventive, and original material. These guys have chemistry on stage together and their performances are as professional and relaxed golf pros at the PGA. Some of the sets last a bit too long (especially the one where they try to make fun of the gag that goes too long, which stops being ironically funny after a few minutes).
It’s clear why this is a crowd favourite. There are jokes for everyone, but you sometimes have to be patient for the ones that make you laugh. At the core of Peter and Chris’s comedy is their knowledge of how theatre and comedy work. A lot of their humour relies on making fun of themselves and “doing” Peter and Chris.
All in all, it's certainly worth a stop on your Fringe tour. And if you miss it, they'll probably win Pick of the Fringe, so you can catch them there too.