Adam Bromley: Hyperconnected
At the heart of the Fringe are shows such as this, in small, dark, muggy rooms with small audiences.
This was Adam Bromley’s first performance at the 2026 Fringe, a family tragedy having forced him to cancel his first few shows. Overcoming these hurdles, he produced an engaging show on a theme which touches all our lives.
Finding the Free Festival
The sheer number of shows makes gaining any sort of audience very difficult. That there is also a sizeable Free Fringe adds to this. Confusingly, there is, in addition to the “original” PBH’s Free Fringe, Laughing Horse’s Free Festival. Bromley’s show was part of the Free Festival @ Bar 50, at the corner of the Cowgate and Blackfriars Street. Having been flyered on the Cowgate, it took a bit of time to find the “Upstairs” room. Thankfully Bromley himself was there minutes before the start to greet those coming to the show, such a relief to know you are in the right place, especially with Free shows, where the venues lack professional staff.
A boutique audience
As Bromley noted, with five in the room, it was a “boutique audience,” but very much typical of the Fringe. A generally engaging show on a topic that affects us all: what our addiction to smartphones and a hyper connected existence is doing to us.
Boredom, nostalgia and the 1980s
As a 1980s kid, he had spent significant parts of his life in the pre digital world, so could see things in a wider context. He avoided the easy drift into nostalgia, admitting that much of life in the 1980s was dull, though that very boredom was, in retrospect, useful, forcing people to find things to interest them. These days, with so many treats a quick scroll away, we have replaced boredom with anxiety. In short, the visions of the future offered in the 1980s had not been realised; it had all been a bit disappointing rather than an unmitigated disaster.
The show itself was very low tech, using some large photos to illustrate things; this was in tune with a show that urged us to be sceptical about technology.
Dopamine, addiction and online arguments
For Bromley, the lure of the dopamine hits of the smartphone was particularly strong; he’d struggled with an addictive personality for much of his life, though had recovered from his problematic drinking. His personality also caused him to spend far too much time engaging in online arguments, a route he urged the audience not to go down. His efforts to demonstrate the ridiculous character of these exchanges via debates with the audience, on, for instance, whether we should judge films by their trailers, worked fine but no more than that. His point about the way almost any online forum can be invaded by extreme political content was interesting, and perhaps could have been exploited more.
Room to grow
At some points he left things hanging a bit; perhaps he could have embraced the awkwardness a little more, given that the audience was generally on his side. Sometimes he overdid the negative self-talk: “I think I’ve lost you there,” “I shouldn’t insult the audience.”
His exchanges with audience members generally went well; again, he could have gone with these a bit more, as the audience members were not reluctant to contribute. I think that as he gives more performances and the show evolves, and as he becomes more comfortable with the room (and the early afternoon slot), he will be more willing to go with the flow.
At times his asides hinted at more sophisticated thoughts; he made plenty of good points but could slip into mundanity at times. Perhaps he was unsure whether the audience would “get” more sophisticated thoughts, but he should give it a try. This was an engaging show on a highly relevant topic by a capable performer. The show will, as the run continues, better realise its potential. Well worth giving a go.
Adam Bromley: Hyperconnected is part of the Free Festival, Laughing Horse @Bar 50. The remaining shows are at 12.15 on the 20th, 21st, 24th-30th August.
