Gareth Richards: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Pleasance Courtyard

This is an odd show. Richards seems to have wanted to write an hour about being an introvert but then decided to vent his spleen about his parents never taking him to Disney.  The two issues appear to be completely unrelated and sit alongside each other rather than blend into a seamless narrative. Throw a couple of songs on the Omnichord and sequencer and you’re left with a rather disjointed, albeit entertaining, show.

Richards explains that he never fitted in at school, that he is a bit rubbish socially, a point proved when he chats with his audience, seeming to always hit on an awkward answer with seemingly innocuous questions. He recognises that it may be contradictory to claim he is an introvert whilst standing on stage performing but as he points out, he can cope with this scripted stuff, it’s the real life improvisation he struggles with.

He’s a bit of an enigma. He is likable if a tad cold, and despite revealing some personal details about his family and childhood you never has the sense that you are getting to know him. He talks about the problems in his marriage since the birth of his second child and tries in vain to find allies in the audience who will empathise with his pain. Tonight the crowd all seem blissfully happy with their relationships and their kids.

It’s not all soul searching or coming of age though, there are a few sections which would serve well in a club set about Price Match Promises offered by retailers. Some clever observations provide some big laughs and a break from the life stories that seem to make Richards so sad and vulnerable.

Perhaps this explains his lack of  early action with the ladies. His youthful dalliances with love and sex can be profoundly touching and incredibly vile. I’ll never look at a Tigger toy in the same way again. Never been to Disney? He’s ruined Disney for me!

This low-key performance contains such a mixed bag of material that it is hard to see it as a cohesive show. Nonetheless it’s a pleasant way to spend an hour.