The Irish comedian Aidan Greene has a stammer. It’s noticeable but not debilitating (at least onstage; he tells us it’s much worse in real life). It has certainly not stopped him from having a career in stand-up. This is his eighth Fringe show and his “disability” – the word he uses – is at the heart of it.
The result is a combination of straightforward stand-up, a slice of personal history and an explanation of the condition and its impact on Greene. The result is both educational and laugh-out loud funny. It may also make you think about Italian romance fiction cover star Fabio for the first time in years.
The question at the heart of Stuttermilk Pancakes is why Greene went from being a confident 12-year-old who wanted to be an actor and was cast as the lead in the school play to a withdrawn teenager all too aware of his stammer.
It’s a story with an upbeat ending. He’s standing in front of us telling it, after all. But it also confronts us with society’s perceptions of stammering and how those perceptions in turn impact on those with the condition. At the heart of the show Greene is asking the question “do I let my stutter define me?” The answer he gives may be a surprise.
Greene is a veteran of this and you can see that he’s at home on the stage even when he stammers. Being seen and being heard matters. So often we see neurological disorders presented through a media lens that concentrates on the condition rather than the person who has it. Here the person is right in front of you.
This is a funny, informative and refreshingly positive show. It will make you think, but also make you laugh. And you will come away with fresh insight into Scatman John’s 1995 hit Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop). Or did the rest of you already know it’s a song about stammering?
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Dexter) until August 31(except August 18)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/aidan-greene-stuttermilk-pancakes
