Sam Freeman

Storytelling | Theatre | Arts Marketing

Edinburgh 2014

This is my fourth year of coming up to Edinburgh and seeing shows and I’ve got in the habit of popping up little reviews and reporting on my time up here. It’s been a weird one, firstly I’m more a performer than in the past (although still just doing 2 shows) and secondly my taste is increasingly refined and defined my my increasingly finite budget. Anyway, here’s the rundown and below that a bit about what I’m learning (so we feel we’re on a journey, y’know).

  • Simon Munnery – (2/5) – Not that impressed if I’m honest, it felt a little too conceptual and maybe lost the audience a little bit too often for me.
  • Seymour Mace: Questionable Time – (3/5) – I’m a massive fan of Seymour. He had a dry dark wit that is crushingly wonderful. I enjoyed the show but I hoped for more of him being just generally brilliant.
  • Big Value Comedy – (4/5) – Adam Rowe on form compereing, Elliot Steel and Edd Hedges will be massive stars in the future, I was glad to see them.
  • Will Adamsdale – (4/5) – A comedy hero of mine, a clever show, perhaps occasionally convoluted but I loved it.
  • John Robins (4/5) – My favourite of John Robins shows so far, massively funny, some great one-liners but with a weird ending…
  • Kitson & Fathers (5/5) – It’s Daniel Kitson, let’s be honest, did you expect less than 5?
  • Stephen Bailey (3.5/5) – A solid show and very funny, but I want to know more about Stephen and find the truthful journey?
  • Mark Watson (5/5) – One of those electric nights of comedy. Unmissable. Especially the 11pm show.
  • The Pianist (5/5) – Beautiful clowning and physical theatre from a Finnish Company with a Kiwi actor… Don’t miss.
  • Pete Firman (4/5) – Solid show from Pete Firman, maybe lacked the throughline of last years show but still very enjoyable magic and comedy. A little old school but perfectly pitched.
  • The Only Way Is Downton – (4/5) – If you like Downton Abbey this is a tremendous show, well acted, slick and funny with a good contemporary link.
  • Don’t Let Go – (1/5) – Sorry, this was a poor show. The physical elements was okay but the story was lost beneath the aesthetic and the unnecessarily complex context.
  • Simon Amstell (Tour Preview) – (3/5) – I was hoping for more as I love his other shows but this was a little joke light and lacked clarity occasionally lunging into self indulgence.
  • Peter McCole (4/5) – A solidly funny show, well structured and enjoyable. It was fun and interesting.
  • David O’Doherty (4.5/5) – Hilariously funny musical comedy. If I’m honest I was incredibly tired while watching this but enjoyed it anyway.
  • Bec Hill (4/5) – high energy very conceptual comedy that paid off, great illustrative work that was refreshing and fun.
  • Glenn Cosby (4/5) – I wasn’t too sure whether I’d enjoy this but well, I did. And the was free cake. FREE CAKE.. Ahem… (he was on the Great British Bake Off).
  • Show for One (2/5) – This isn’t the title, I can’t remember it, essentially it was a one woman show to one audience member that lasted 25 minutes, interesting but lost me towards the end.

I also did two gigs while here… The first I did storytelling which was a bit of a battle and the second I had a mental breakdown onstage which was much more fun and entertaining and I’ve been wanting to do it for ages. I’ve also discovered I’m good at flyering but that I get very grouchy when cold and unfed. Who knew.

Tonight I’m seeing The Circus from The Invisible Dot and then tomorrow The Art Of Falling Apart and Vote Russell Brand which I’m really looking forward to! Maybe see you there!


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