Richard Digance: New Town Theatre
Performances daily 20:45pm
Career entertainer Richard Digance provides an hour of humour, merriment, music and fantastic anecdotes of a life well lived. Richard’s stories capture a range of his life’s colourful experiences and meetings, in all of which he finds a way to bring real wit to the fore as well appeal to human emotion.
His expert use of guitar in styles including Folk, Blues & Country, honed from over forty years of practice is a joy to behold and sublime to listen to. Mr Digance throws the rulebook out the proverbial window and encourages the audience to take photos, record his work and generally join in, (what a welcome change). Given Richard’s years of experience it is not difficult to understand how the paying guests are made to feel at ease right away and his sincere engaging style is that of someone completely comfortable with is surroundings. Very surprising it is to learn that this is actually his first performing visit to the Festival, where have you been?????
With lampooning references to Rebekah Brooks, Noel Edmonds, Clare Balding, Ian Hislop and an array of others (I couldn’t write fast enough they were coming so thick and fast!), Richard has the room bursting with laughter and applause. He pays homage to some of his heroes of yesteryear:- Tommy Cooper, John Lennon, Bobby Moore (Mr Digance is a West Ham fan!), Keith Moon and the like with a excellent rendition of a song which carries a great deal of personal feeling, beautifully written and sung, (everybody is smiling).
A master of his craft (perhaps apt considering he playing in a Freemason’s Hall), Richard has the gathered guests crying with laughter at numerous points throughout the show, an incredibly relaxed and genuinely funny raconteur it is not difficult to ascertain why he is so popular.
An extensive catalogue of songs and an aptitude to adjust to any audience ensure no two performances will be repeated. I, for one, will be back before the end of the Festival. Many thanks for a superb performance.
5 out of 5
Submitted by James Stevenson
