Monks is a two woman clown show.  It’s that one day, every five years, when the abbot isn’t around and the brothers can take a day off from praying and counting lentils.  Unfortunately they have lost their donkey which is a perfect excuse for every possible permutation of ass jokes.

It’s hugely physical and highly interactive with water sprayers, lentils (yes more lentils), musical instruments and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, not to mention writhing on the floor and hiding in lentil barrels.  If you don’t want to engage in the antics sit right at the back and, above all, do not come late.  The full wrath of the Catholic Church awaits the Satanic evil of the tardy.

It’s extremely filthy in an excellent way and extremely incongruous.  Two monks rush around madly inviting us to find their donkey; “if you see my ass, grab it with both hands and ride it”.  Then a pantomime donkey processes through the audience to the Good Friday music from Parsifal and is followed by a version of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey like you have never seen before.  It’s completely asinine.

There’s even a musical number featuring recorders played with the nostrils to finish up.  All in all it’s an hour of hilarious craziness.  The Fringe may not deliver a lot of dramatic profundity but, at its best, it does deliver excellent comedy and this is a great example.  Saint Benedict would hate it.

Monks is produced by Good Fortune for the Toronto Fringe and is devised and performed by Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján.  It’s playing in the Solo Room at Tarragon Theatre and there are four more performances ending July 14th.