Change »
Edinburgh Fringe 2000 (16)
Edinburgh Fringe 2001 (29)
Edinburgh Fringe 2002 (34)Edinburgh Fringe 2003 (30)
Edinburgh Fringe 2004 (38)
Edinburgh Fringe 2005 (39)
Edinburgh Fringe 2006 (70)
Edinburgh Fringe 2007 (57)
Edinburgh Fringe 2008 (65)
Edinburgh Fringe 2009 (65)
Melbourne 2012 (2)
See Less »
|
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2002
|
|
|
Count Arthur Strong's Forgotten Egypt
The remarkable Count Arthur delivers an instructional talk on the mysteries of Ancient Egypt - with spectacular slide show! The Sphinx! Sir Elgin Marbles
|
Original Review:
This character piece is a fine showcase for Steve Delaney's talents, as his famed Egyptologist declines from a slightly eccentric old-timer into a full-scale alcohol-fuelled breakdown over the course of the hour's show. The last ten minutes are quite splendid, as Count Arthur rails against the world that is collapsing around him - combining the manic aggression of Basil Fawlty with the hopeless despair of Johnny Vegas. It's a wonderful performance, as the subtle tics become increasingly violent and he curses his unseen understudy, attacks the props and berates life in general. But the show does seem quite drawn-out, with the character not quite complex enough to fill the timeslot. Before his ultimate collapse, Strong's humour comes from his absent-mindedness, his maladroit metaphors and his Tourette's-like outbursts at various imagined demons. This can be very funny, and it is brilliantly executed, but the comedy is simply too limited to be sustained for the entire duration. It's a shame, as Count Arthur has the potential to be a great comic creation - just in smaller doses. |
Skip to page: 1 | 2
|
Superb. I want to have his children. Lorraine Allison, May 2003 |
|
Saw Count Arthur at Edinburgh and he was bloody excellent - a tour de force! Will definitely be booking in for his forthcoming biblical odyssey. Quin Hughes, May 2003 |
|
The comedy of his 'lecture' has a slow burn, cumulative effect and, though chortlesome at the time, I found myself tittering long after the show. Exquisite. Cathie James, February 2003 |
|
Saw the Count again, this time at the Leicester Comedy Festival. Comic genius is an understatement. This character has massive potential. He sould tour the UK. The quiet moments whilst the Count regains his train of thought are a masterpiece. Karl Havard, February 2003 |
|
I have never laughed so much in years. Definitely an acquired taste. Karl, January 2003 |
|
Bloody marvellous. I was in pain from laughing too much. T Stom, January 2003 |
|
I like the sound of Wendy Allison. Count Arthur Strong, September 2002 |
|
Smaller doses of 30 seconds would be bearable. Wendy Allison, August 2002 |
|
I'd travel across continents of piping hot deserts to see this man perform (shame I couldn't make to Edinburgh however!). Microsoftie, August 2002 |
|
Have just returned from the Leicester Comedy Festival Preview show - and my first encounter with the count. This is an act you either click with or you don't. Personally I thought he was fantastic, I had tears of laughter running down my face as the Count played both parts in his Dracula movie. The character is acutely observed and probably suffered from playing in such a big venue (as did a couple of the other acts) but there is no doubting this comic character is having the potential to become a classic, given the right opportunities. Fantastic. Craig Bird, March 2002 |
|
The worst show I saw at the Fringe this year - and I saw quite a few. A fine idea for a character but the script was bloody dire. Sandra |
