Toronto Fringe Review: Death of a Starman

“What does it mean when Mercury is in retrograde?” An important question asked by Sal Solomon in his hit late-night TV show all about astrology. 

Death of a Starman, written by Peter Malloch, Zaid Bustami, and Kay Komizara, performed by Bustami, and directed by Komizara, is a one-man show that sees the downfall of a once young and famous astrologer. After a tragic accident on his TV show, Sal’s life begins to slowly fall apart. His consistently terrible relationship with his family gets worse, he owes money to the mob, his ex-wife is trying to send him halfway across the world, and now, Mercury is in retrograde. Usually this means something strange will happen—a full moon, an old friend reappearing—but this time around, something major is supposed to happen for Sal. According to his specific sun, moon, and rising signs, the stars have aligned so that Sal’s life will drastically change within the next 48 hours. 

Upon first entry, Bustami chats up the audience, displaying his knowledge of astrology, slipping in a few quips, and ultimately making his character out to be a quirky but charismatic guy. As the show goes on and he becomes more disheveled, the less likable he is. Misogyny quickly becomes his middle name as he focuses more on what he thinks a man should be and do. 

Punchlines are pungent in this satire alongside other comedic techniques. A personal favourite is how the playwrights connect one dot with another very far-fetched dot using astrology. The bizarre explanations in accompaniment with Bustami’s high energy but ability to deliver a flatline phrase are quite humourous. Although his delivery is usually on point, his meltdowns enlist a fair bit of screaming, often occurring for minutes at a time. 

Bustami’s ability to switch characters, especially considering the many in the show, is wonderful. Despite some not-so-smooth transitions between them, Bustami has each and every character down to a T. The different voices, mannerisms, kinds of comedy they bring to the table—he ensures all of that is on high display. 

Finally, the physical comedy. This show has Bustami up and down, twirling around, flailing, and more. It’s one thing to have a challenging fight scene but it’s a different battle when only one fighter can be seen at a time. Bustami does an excellent job of portraying exactly the action in play and recreating the person on the other side. 

Death of a Starman takes a desperate man’s plight and spins it with quirky humour and boisterous outbursts. Throwing in some well-done video clips from his TV show and audience interaction, the one-man satire is a success. 

Death of a Starman is on now until July 14 as part of Toronto Fringe. Show times and tickets.