Gilded Balloon Patter House
Aug 9-12, 14-26
18:20
I caught Bennett’s show ‘I Can’t Stand the Man Myself,’ last year, and was blown away by his presence and craft, which allowed him to deliver laugh after laugh in an hour of oddly uplifting misanthropic hilarity – instantly earning himself a place on my ‘must see every year’ list, such was the fully realised talent on display. This year with ‘Emotional Daredevil’, Bennett usurps all expectations, and in doing so establishes himself as a bona fide ‘triple threat’, nailing every aspect of this beautifully crafted box of delights (And yes Alexander, that includes your singing).
I’m a huge fan of high concept, risk-taking shows, and this is an hour fully devoted to both of those things. Closer to a Christopher Nolan film than Live at the Apollo, Bennett channels Derren Brown and a sardonic Perry Como, weaving jokes and anecdotes about fat dogs, threatening sex toys, Scrooge McDuck, and the commodification of identity around puppetry, synchronised flag dancing, musical comedy, and psychological profiling.
This is a show centered around audience participation, with each performance promising to be a truly unique experience, tailored to the input of those in the room on the day. The manner in which Bennett has constructed this, and his ability to tailor the show, and material in a matter of minutes mid-performance is both impressive, and at points genuinely awe-inspiring. To reveal any more would be to deny you the opportunity to take a ‘risk’ on this show, at least this is how I’ve seen other reviewers get around the spoiler alerts. In truth, there is no risk involved here, this is a clever, funny, uplifting, guaranteed crowd pleaser and a unique Fringe ‘one off’ classic in the making, and both you & Bennett deserve the opportunity to spend an hour in each others’ company.
Ewan Law
themumble.uk 