Review: Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ
📍 Soho Theatre - Soho
🗓️ 18th September 2026
🎟️ PR Invite
After a second sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Moonlight Theater Co. have brought Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ to Soho Theatre – Soho in London for a limited run. Gaulier-trained Chase Brantley plays Don Toberman, an undefeated ping pong champion ready to take on his next opponent…I mean…opponents. That would, of course, be the Soho Rollers (the team name chosen for the audience on the night). But can he remain undefeated? Throughout the show, he takes on audience members point by point in the 2026 International Ping Pong Championship, and you really never know what is going to happen next.
The concept of this show is absolutely bizarre, and I did wonder before going in how exactly it would work. However, what I found was a really clever and immersive piece of theatre that had me in tears of laughter for much of its 60-minute runtime.
Brantley is such an engaging performer. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, he had the audience in the palm of his hand, and we were all onboard for the crazy ride. The show relies quite heavily on audience participation and engagement, and Brantley’s ability to adapt to the responses he gets makes it incredibly dynamic. Before long, everyone is completely invested in the match. It did make me wonder how this would work with a slightly quieter audience, but that certainly wasn’t an issue during this performance. The energy in the room started high, only got higher, and by the end, the whole room was fully invested in this ridiculous but hilarious show.
Toberman takes on his opponents one by one – no one is safe, with audience members being picked from every row – but there’s absolutely no pressure to take part if you don’t want to. The setting is so relaxed, and Brantley has a presence that makes you feel completely comfortable. Of course, I myself did take on Toberman and defeated him. As someone who plays tennis, I was concerned that I might struggle with the smaller racket and ball, but I still came out victorious. The fact that the racket, ball and table were invisible is neither here nor there!
The physical comedy in this show is also really impressive. There’s essentially no set – just a stool with drinks on it for Toberman’s rehydration during the performance… game… but it really doesn’t need one. There are also some hilarious props used throughout the show, which just make the whole thing even more ridiculous. From hilarious attempts at hitting the ball to doing everything he can to secure the win with increasingly hilarious consequences, and even being joined onstage by supporting cast members and audience members, you really never know what will happen next. Brantley uses the entire room for the performance, sometimes even venturing outside the door when the ping pong game gets that intense. The audience is completely drawn into it, cheering each other on, booing Toberman and even joining in with our official team chant, complete with actions (thanks to our audience member cheer captain).
The structure of the show is set up really well, with the performance actually starting before you even get to your seats. Kirk Collins and his cameraman interview team members as they make their way to their seats, while St. Elmo’s Fire plays in the background, immediately setting the atmosphere of an American sporting event. Throughout the show, a referee and security guard make appearances onstage at various points, while a commentator provides running commentary on the action. There are also adverts scattered throughout the game, which I found absolutely hilarious and really added to the whole feel of the event. The show really is a satire of American sports culture, and the team do a great job of capturing the essence of a sporting event – hilarious halftime show included – while creating a piece of theatre that allows a group of strangers to just be silly together.
Of course, like any sporting event, it may not always go your way, and we also get to see a more vulnerable and sensitive side to Toberman as he tries to believe in himself and push himself to get a win. Audience members are inadvertently cast as important support in his game preparation – from providing water and towels to offering moral support – and it never feels like the cast of this show is small.
It’s always a good sign when you watch a performance and genuinely forget the outside world while you’re watching it, and I certainly had that experience with this show. I wasn’t thinking about anything but ping pong for an hour and had the absolute best time doing it. The show is so fast-paced and full of energy that the hour absolutely flies by. There was a moment in the first half of the match when I did wonder how interesting a show could be if it was simply about taking on audience members, but once halftime hit, the story shifted and created a new sense of wonder and enjoyment in the show.
Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ is an absolutely hilarious show with incredible energy and impressive physical comedy. It’s a show that invites the audience not just to watch, but to be a part of the action, allowing a group of adults to just be silly together. I laughed so much watching this show and left with a big smile on my face.
Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ has one final performance at Soho Theatre on 19 September 2026.
(Warning: Butt Cheeks | Age Recommendation: 18+)
