Mixing stand up with theatre, immersive self-heckling, and more this show from Leo Hincks could be an absolute mess. In parts, it is. But it’s also unusual and interesting, carefully constructed with a kaleidoscope of meta layers and quite the rollercoaster. Leo Hincks is 22, he tells us, and is looking for answers, for meaning, and to leave an impression on the world that his future self can look back on fondly. There’s a real panic that it won’t happen. Here are the anxieties of Gen Z in general, and of Leo Hincks in particular.
My goodness, the energy of this man is incredible. he practically vibrates. Satirising the ‘pick me’s of his generation, he peppers “like”s – the most insecure of word-flags – throughout his sentences. Hincks pulses with pop culture, flashing the fourth wall up and down like a yo-yo as he skips between semi-mock seriousness and explaining the childhood roots of his association of culture with jealousy. It’s peekaboo with sincerity, allowing entertainment in the form of multimedia videos, audition pieces that snap between ‘Magnolia’ and TikTok, and glimpses at a desperate desire to understand and leave a mark.
Leo Hincks throws himself around the stage like a rag doll, channelling his own imposter syndrome with antagonistic sound cues of an argument which escalates into a full blown fight. Passionate, messy, and deeply engaging in a brand new way. Emotional Cowboy is what the Fringe was built for.
Leo Hincks: Emotional Cowboy, Turret at Gilded Balloon Teviot, 5-31 August (not 17th)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/leo-hincks-emotional-cowboy
