Last Man on Earth, The

Making an old form fresh is a recipe for success in Keystone Theatre's The Last Man on Earth - and it makes for a delightfully satisfying Fringe experience.

The Toronto company specializes in performing theatre in the style of silent movies. Here, they present the story of a Chaplinesque hero named Gormless Joe (Phil Rickaby), the last innocent on Earth - and so a prime target for the Devil (Stephen LaFrenie), who makes it his mission to corrupt poor Joe. As for Joe, all he really wants is to get the girl, a pie seller named Penelope (Dana Fradkin).

What ensues is simple theatrical magic. There's slapstick aplenty, graceful physicality, and superb clowning from the Devil's bat-like Minion (Sarah Joy Bennett), who steals the show with impish antics (she has a particular fondness for bursting into dance to everything from The Muppet Show's theme to "Thriller").

Smart, crisp physical movement from the entire cast and music - a fluid, achingly beautiful, and brilliantly creative soundtrack is performed live by David Atkinson, a superb pianist - become all the dialogue we need in this sweet, delightful show.