REVIEW: Monks, Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

Brothers! It is time for our sacred pilgrimage to the monastery. What a joyous day it will be – fa la la. As we arrive, we’re to be greeted by two monks of the sacred order left unsupervised for the day by their Abbot. What’s on the agenda, you might ask? A day of sitting in the field with a donkey, staring into the sky, and doing nothing at all, for the first time in five years. Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela offer a devoted hour of manic clowning with buckets of heart in this offbeat, interactive comedy.

We’re taken through the day-to-day of our new Brothers – counting lentils is their main labour, alongside their daily prayers. Despite the central conent, Luján and Hortigüela avoid Monks becoming a spearing satire on religion, instead honing in on the isolation that these two reclusive servants of the almighty face. The audience becomes a visiting party, and within moments, given a name dependent on their clobber – ‘Brother Sunglasses’, ‘Brother Lanyard’, and so on. This is the beginning of an impressive feat of community-building that the duo commit wholeheartedly to over the hour, which provides just as much entertainment as their clowning antics.

Before long, the pair set out on a modest quest to restore balance in the monastery after a minor catastrophe, and hilarity ensues. From a swirling storm that completely immerses the audience in this bonkers universe – spray bottles, foliage, puppet crows, and pantomime donkeys appearing in their stead to create an utterly hysterical experience that does not relent for a moment. This is not the show for passers-by, rather folks prepared to shame their fellow audience for various infractions of a well-established, fantastical rapport that quickly develops.

Chemistry between the central players is undeniable, and they work in unflinching synchronicity to deliver some outlandish moments. There’s a core comedic tension of not knowing quite just how far the duo are prepared to go with Monks, which contributes to an overall initial sense of unease that is tackled deftly by the pair in their efforts to involve the audience, yet sensitively bail out of the depths when is necessary. Audience interaction is a mighty beast to tame, and there’s not a moment where it feels that Monks gets the experience wrong.

Speaking of beasts, the moment where the pair’s faithful donkey does arrive, a jaw-dropping clowning moment provides plenty of good laughs. This is soon transformed into something rather different – in which the piece unpack a rather lovely underlying message that is basked into the core of the piece, though takes some time to reveal itself in its candour. It’s a rather juddering switch of tone that is not totally convincing, yet does leave you walking out of Monks with something treasurable to think about, after the remarkable frivolity of it all.

Explosive, exquisite, vastly entertaining. Your pilgrimage to visit these two Monks will be totally unforgettable.

Recommended Drink: Whatever you pair lentils with. Don’t worry about bringing water, though, there’s plenty on offer.

You can catch Monks until August 29th (not the 16th or 23rd) at Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street from 19:35 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.