Seymour Mace’s brand of surreal self-loathing whimsy is just the thing for a lunchtime brain adjuster. The walk-on track is selected at random by a member of The Stand crew each day, we are told from off-stage, to which Mace delightfully commits to stepping out and embracing as much of the awkward intro beat as possible. Did we like it? What score would we give it out of 10? Turn the lights up on us and down on Mace and already we are knee-deep in a show that is a sweet collaboration between audience and comic leader, and the tone is set.
Mace is the band leader here, but the public provide half of the sheet music. The show structure sets each performance up as being utterly unique. Scattered around the tables in the crowd are pockets of pens and pieces of paper, upon which we are instructed to write any question we would like to ask of him. Suitably random examples are given and the Tony Hart ‘Gallery’ music plays whilst we write. Mace collects them up, pops them in a box, and Bob’s your uncle – here’s the show.
He does have back-up should we need a shot in the arm, notes and lists in the pockets of a home decorated lab coat he’s wearing – the only nod to his usual bounty of homemade props and costumes. And this is employed from time to time at Mace’s discretion.
This is a showcase for the way Mace’s mind works, the tangents and whims, the jolly doom-sayer and free-wheeling rants. With a little help from the tech on hand when called upon too, today’s highlights included a revelry song and dance number joining in with Bert from Sesame Street, favourite British geography, and a stream of consciousness that had a marvellous bimble that started at a pink house and ended up with Bernard Cribbins in Heaven.
This is a sweet show. An engaging show. It has its dips and peaks, as you would expect from a partly randomly created entertainment. But at its core it leaves everyone with a feelgood warmth you’d hope everyone could start the day with.
Seymour Mace Presents Captain Winky’s F*ck Off Olympics, 11.45AM, The Stand 1, 3-28 (except 15th) August 2022
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/seymour-mace-presents-captain-winky-s-f-ck-off-olympics
