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Bruce Dessau's rating
Reader rating
Existential crisis: after splitting with his boyfriend Simon Amstell is surfing the zeitgeist but not pleasing the crowd
Where is the politics? I knew something was missing from this year's Fringe and 10 minutes into this ambitious yet disappointing set from the host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks I realised what it was. Satire is distinctly thin on the ground. Mark Watson, Frank Skinner, Richard Her-ring ... you cannot move for men going through an existential crisis.
Maybe it is because Gordon Brown is still on his honeymoon, maybe it is because all the George Bush jokes have been cracked, but apart from endless repetitive routines about John Smeeton, who thumped the burning terrorist suspect at Glasgow Airport, this is the most inward-looking Edinburgh ever.
The waspish Amstell is clearly zeitgeist-surfing by questioning the meaning in his life after splitting from his boyfriend.
The trouble is that talking about Buddhism and referencing Kierkegaard did not really suit a boozed-up Saturday crowd. A few walkouts threw the clearly tired performer and he never hit his stride.
Which was a shame, because there were some fantastically stimulating ideas as well as some neat one-liners. Talking about writing for sex-and-drugs teen drama, Skins, he remarked that "the most dangerous thing I ever did at 16 was the Macarena".
He was also good on his Jewishness, getting laughs out of his judgmental dad and typically proud mum.
The deeper philosophical subtext worked less well. His provocative suggestion that there is nothing worse than being alive did not exactly chime with a crowd dreaming of its next pint. By the time it came to a very neatly structured closing back-reference, Amstell's eagerness to go home was tangible.
There is clearly a great show here in need of a committed, appreciative audience. And full credit to Amstell for not merely rehashing his TV persona. If he had bitched about Amy Winehouse he would have earnt a lot more laughs, but a lot less respect.
• Until 27 August. Information: 0131 226 0000, www.edfringe.com.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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Yes I agree, funny thing is I went to see him last night at Nottingham Playhouse - a full nine months after this review and it could very easily be applied to the show I watched. Perhaps Simon shows all to easily his disappointment and contempt for an audience who don't instantly see the world his way.
- Paul Balloch, nottingham england
