EDINBURGH 2026: Review: MONKS, Greenside @ George Street
Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela deliver a sacredly-stupid interactive clown epic with a surprisingly poignant heart.
Left unsupervised in a 12th-century Spanish Benedictine monastery, two overly optimistic monks fling open their sacred doors to welcome the audience as their first guests in five years. What follows in co-creators Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela’s Monks is an hour of delightfully absurd physical comedy that balances sacredly-stupid clowning with a deeply resonant emotional heart.
Luján and Hortigüela possess an extraordinary command of audience engagement, immediately transforming the room into fellow Benedictine brothers complete with custom titles and strict monastery rules. They establish a hilarious rhythm: from a collective shaming ritual for anyone caught doing Satan’s bidding, to tasking the crowd with helping them count their endless reserves of lentils.
The show’s physical humor shines through swift comedic beats and deadpan restraint, escalating into glorious silliness during a high-stakes venue search for their beloved lost donkey. The whimsical quest to find their missing ass is a triumph of interactive play, powered by the performers’ razor-sharp beat-awareness and willingness to lean into unscripted crowd interactions.
Yet Monks isn't just funny for the sake of being funny. Behind the chaotic silliness lies a real heart and purpose. Luján and Hortigüela deftly pivot from hilarious slapstick to a quiet, surprisingly tear-jerking reflection on human connection, reminding us of the importance of spending time with the people we love. Inventive, hilarious, and unexpectedly touching, Monks is an absolute triumph of the Fringe.
Monks plays at Greenside @ George Street (Lime Studio) until August 29.
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