The Fringe can take its toll. Performers start to drop out of shows with so called “Fringe Flu”, while Fringe goers are drained by excessive hours in dark dank recesses of the Old Town and limited sleep.
On the way to a show on Tuesday, I saw a Fringe-goer flat out on the grass in a small park, trying to get some restorative rest. Their slumber over, they jolted up, checked their phone and rushed off to the next show.
For those struggling the end of the month, you need shows which give you a jolt of energy. Josh Glanc’s (pronounced glance) show Family Man might be what you need. As the Fringe reaches the latter stages, it’s usually a good guide to look out for lengthy queues. That’s usually a good sign that a show is worth seeing or has built up a reputation on the grapevine. The long queue on Blair Street for Josh Glanc: Family Man was indeed a good sign.
The venue with throbbing with energy before he reached the stage. The sense of anticipation built as music pumped out from the speakers and those queuing finally got in. This energy and tension was maintained throughout this inspired performance of highly engaging clowning. Silly and smart, often at the same time, Glanc never let his level drop – most of the audience were fully captivated throughout. I certainly was.
Glanc’s conceit of constantly restarting the show (or threatening to) wasn’t particularly original but was done with real aplomb. It typified his ability to really tease with the audience, keeping them guessing as to what was going to happen next. Some of the audience interactions were inspired, squeezing the comedic value from them with some vigour.
There was one magical moment when two of the audience members invited to participate realised they had met a few months earlier in New York. Or was this too good to be true ? Were they stooges somehow. Who knows, but it all added to the tingling sense of uncertainty.
The venue – Monkey Barrel – has achieved a strong reputation as a highly professional setup but somehow more authentic than the really big venues. Even some of those involve with the Free Fringe have praised the way it looks after its acts. Glanc really played on this with some cheeky comments about the venue, though all clearly in jest. The lighting and sound really contributed to the power of the performance.
Time and again, Glanc mentioned the magical feeling of being right “in the zone” during a performance; a zen-like feeling.
Glanc was clearly in the zone during this performance.
Josh Glanc: Family Man is strongly recommended if you’re feeling your energy levels diminishing in this final week of the Fringe.
The comedy equivalent of a strong, rich coffee, with unusual tasting notes.
Josh Glanc: Family Man, 15:20, until August 25 at Monkey Barrel Comedy, 9-12 Blair Street, EH1 1QR
