You can't come through to the Edinburgh Fringe and see just one show. That would be a crime against effort and time and a disservice to all the performers who've plastered every available surface of Edinburgh with their show posters. So, having locked in Mike Birbiglia at 7.15 pm, I checked the listings to see what other shows were nearby afterwards. I plumped for Chris Turner as I was curious to see how good he was in person.
If you've not heard of him, and why would you, he's an English comedian and freestyle rapper who received a standing ovation following his debut performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. From there, he won a contract to appear in Vegas at the Cirque du Soleil show, "Mad Apple".
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
After Mike Birbiglia, we headed to the Underbelly Bristo Square to sample some of their 'udderly good summer drinks' but found the bar service so slow my wife had time to return from the Ladies' toilet before the first person at the front of the queue had received their order. So, instead, we went to the nearby Gilded Balloon, hoping their Library Bar might be a bit quicker and quieter. Unfortunately, no one was paying attention to the irony. Finding somewhere to sit was like playing musical chairs, only with everyone cheating and the music never stopping. We eventually snagged one chair for my wife and I stood until a second one became available. At least the drinks were cheap.
One door into the bar was hobbit size and I spotted a number of people hitting their heads on the way in. I'm not saying they were stupid (or tall) but I did note the moustache and mullet have made a fashion return (as in 80's Brookside, only with posher accents). We sat for a while until I got antsy, always OCD about being early for the queue. Only, I forgot we were in the Gilded Balloon venue and not the Underbelly so had a mild moment of panic as I realised I didn't know where we were going. Fortunately, the Buttercup was easy to find once I'd spotted the sign for the Underbelly. It is a bit of a maze finding these small venues.
I didn't want to sit at the front so chose a seat on the second row much to the annoyance of the usher who wanted all the seats filled consecutively. She didn't push it as the show was sold out and every seat was going to be filled anyway.
His hour this year describes his experience of getting to Vegas thanks to the Late Show ovation, revealing his good fortune was thanks to knowing Americans will follow anyone's lead. Spoiler: his wife was in the audience.
Tonight, the audience suggestions for his signature freestyle rap were: an auburn Shetland pony, Defenestration, Bigfoot, a pole-vaulting New Zealand cat and Kinder egg toys being banned in the USA. His raps never fail to astound, even if he admitted he was still jetlagged having flown back to Edinburgh just that day to finish his Fringe run.
The jokes were great, the audience banter funny and he finished with an upbeat number that got everyone on their feet clapping (at his insistence).
Afterwards, I managed to grab some stage time and can now claim I've appeared on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe. I can't claim to be any good, in fact, the audience left while I was on but it still counts, doesn't it? (explanation: we had to walk across the stage to get out).
Ticket price: £14.
Blurb:
Award-winning comedian makes sure what happened in Vegas... comes to Edinburgh!
When Cirque du Soleil offer you a Las Vegas residency as the first comedian to perform with them, you don't say no... even if that means bringing your newborn baby along for the ride. Don't miss your chance to see 'a virtuoso... a hip-hop machine' (Guardian), with over 40 million YouTube views and sell-out shows across the globe. As seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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