John Otway
Edinburgh Voodoo Room (Thurs August 11th)
With the likes of Barry Cryer spotted in town, old stager Otway is by comparison something of a stripling, but recent performances in the capital have been rather under-attended. So, this (Being747′s show) is part of the Free Fringe.
Otway is on this occasion solo, with assistance from a traditionally comedically cack-handed roadie. And – as is the new tradition – dispenses with The Hits (‘Really Free’) early on and the follow-up chart success (separated by 25 years) though ‘Bunsen Burner’ doesn’t work particularly in solo mode (being as it’s a rework of ‘Disco Inferno’).
However, the show is carried through by Otway’s self-effacing takes of showbiz failure. It’s often forgotten that he is an underrated songwriter and though we get the silly covers like ‘Blockbuster’, and of course his trademark life-threatening somersaults, the version of self-penned ‘Josephine’ is as good as anything he plays all night.
As with other (Really) Free Fringe shows, a bucket goes round in a ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ system. given the sheer entertainment value offered by Otway, I hope the crowd tonight dug deep.
Stuart McHugh
