Show Details
Daniel Kitson: A Made Up Story
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2003
Starring Comic:
Daniel Kitson

Daniel Kitson: A Made Up Story


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Description

Daniel Kitson, the self-indulgent troubadour and kicker of all things true returns to Edinburgh to do something else.

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Reviews

Original Review:

Show Rating:Daniel Kitson: A Made Up Story rated 4/5

Daniel Kitson's first post-Perrier show is not stand-up, but storytelling. It might be a something of a diversion in style, but the themes and sentiments it explores will be familiar to anyone who enjoyed last year's tender festival offering.

For a different kind of performance, a different kind of venue. The new Pod is like a smaller, posher circus tent - so much so that you wouldn't be surprised if the acts arrived tootling their horn in a tiny, shoddily built car.

But despite the Little Top setting, this is not Kitson in clown mode, this has aspirations of Art. But, ironically, it's those very abilities to play the jester which stop this show from collapsing under the weight of its pretensions.

What unfolds, to the accompaniment of grainy video footage and an angsty indie soundtrack, is a naïve and romantic story about naïve and romantic characters. Misanthropes to a certain extent, but only because they are all disappointed that real people cannot live up to the ideals they seek - traits which sounds very much like our narrator's.

The key players are the 'OK-looking' Dora who lives a nocturnal existence, seeking adventures; a lovelorn boy called Beth who believes it is better never to have loved at all than to have loved and lost; an odd old man who dispenses wisdom at a suburban bus stop; and suicidal Al, who provides the comic relief.

It's a real romantic comedy - not in the Hollywood sense of an apparently mismatched couple meeting, fighting and ultimately realising they are in love sort of way, but in a dreamy, magical, slightly quirky sort of way.

It's essentially a simplistic fairytale, though, uncomplicated by real life and real concerns. Most probably it will appeal most to navelgazing, love-sick teenagers, full of yearning and self-doubt - the same target audience as the mournful rock music accompanying the show. Switch off any adult cynicism, and it all works fine.

Substantial elements of this wistful tale, such as the bureaucratic bus driver and the uneasy adult confrontation with teenagers, have been run out in Kitson's stand-up, where they've already proved to work well. Plus he has a natural gift to be able to say anything in the funniest way, which ensures the whimsy still comes with a punchline.

Furthermore, he doesn't forget his comedian's instincts to deviate from the script and address the moment, should anything distract from the narrative. And with a canvas-walled venue, that's pretty much inevitable.

By choosing storytelling, Kitson is stepping into the same arena as some pretty heavyweight, serious writers and performers, and he's likely to come off worse by comparison. But judged as a stand-up attempting, in the true spirit of the Fringe, something a little different, then A Made Up Story can be seen as a reasonable, if flawed, success.
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Comments

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Two parts swearing to three parts loveliness. Beautiful, sad, hilarious, hopeful, brave, fantastic: for me and my friend this was the best show of the festival. Bits of it are still in our heads days later and will probably linger there forever. Better than a million agressive pick-on-a-foreigner-in-the-audience-so-you-don't-have-to-come-up-with-some-jokes egocentric coke-fuelled comedians we saw all over town all doing the same joke about American tourists wearing matching leisurewear. Five big shiny stars delivered in a rucksack of endearing naivety. (And no, we're not teenage girls, you patronising sod)

Pinky Brown, August 2003

It was great! Although it definatly splits an audience. the audience there Where either totally captivated, and enjoying every magic minute, fainting from the heat, or hoping he'd do some dick jokes. I loved it, its a totally new experience, and I hope more follows.

MSH, August 2003

Admirable of him to try something different, but it was crap. Old material rehashed and mixed a load of storytelling cliches.

Sandra, August 2003

I wasn't moved, but I assumed it was because I'm not a teenage girl.

James Cook, August 2003

The best show at the Fringe. If you weren't moved by it then you have no heart or soul.

Ang, August 2003

Quite poor. The characters aren't very well formed, so there's not much poignancy, and the best bits are mostly bits of old material re-hashed. I think it's admirable that Kitson is doing something so different, but the execution is a bit half-arsed.

Mark, August 2003

Saw a preview where it was mostly not written, so I don't know what I'm talking about, it seemed like bits from a novel, but delivered live so that the performer could garner the instantaneous approval (laughing, clapping, booing possibly) that comes with a live performance.

James Cook, August 2003

Daniel's new show is fantastic. We all know he can do superb stand-up and this theatrical debut proves he'a mastered another genre. An absolute must

Mike, August 2003

Pathetic. A huge disappointment after I had heard so many good things about the hairy one.

Andrew, August 2003

I enjoyed it. Not side-splitting like his normal stand-up but there are plenty of laughs

Alan, August 2003

A lovely, poignant story told beautifully - and I'm sure most audience members identified, like I did, with at least one part - if all you want is lots of laughs go to Jongleurs

Vicky, August 2003

Needs work, but shows he is a good narrator

William, August 2003

Dissapointed slightly... Don't go to this if you want to see Daniel being his usual award-winning, side-stitching self because this is depressing artsy wank. The handful of people who occasionally laughed were doing so out of pity because we all love him not because anything was actually funny. Maybe if it was billed as theatre instead of comedy, it might go down a little better. I just hope Daniel will still be at late n live talking his usual nonsense because I went home last night after the show feeling like I'd fallen out with a good friend.

Lesley, July 2003

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