ANY show that describes Stephen Fry as a “see you next Tuesday” within the opening couple of minutes will get me on board.
You see, I had the dubious pleasure of spending a couple of days in the self-important prat’s company here in Edinburgh more than a decade ago and that is a more-than-fair summation in my humble opinion.
But as much as I dislike Fry, I absolutely adore Glenn Moore and I can’t believe it’s three years since he last blew my socks off at the Fringe with his previous, award-nominated show.
What’s changed in the intervening years? Well, apart from an hour’s worth of brand-new material, absolutely nowt.
Glenn’s stock-in-trade remains a 100mph delivery of finely-honed gags as he works himself up into a (self) righteous frenzy about perceived slights, ending up a sweating, ranting maniac surrounded by a crowd helpless with laughter and wondering how this unlikely creature survives in the wild without spontaneously combusting.
I say brand-new material, this is the second show in a row that references charming serial killer Ted Bundy and I do wonder what that says about Glenn’s state of mind.
He loves being on thin ice – a lot of the jokes raise a shocked eyebrow as much as a laugh, especially as they are coming from such an outwardly genteel chap.
Some puns are so bad they’re good – “Once you poppadom, you just can’t stoppadom” – and the schtick of going to a reliable source of crowd-pleasing gags when he feels something didn’t get the reaction it deserved simply allows Moore to crowbar in some more absolute pearlers.
He’s a master of setting up a joke for a later punchline/payoff which the audience absolutely laps up, and even though the show is obviously incredibly tightly scripted and superbly-crafted, Glenn’s ability to ad-lib and work off the crowd is up there with the best of them.
Moore’s playing one of the biggest rooms at the Fringe but if you fancy seeing him – and you definitely should – look sharpish as I can see tickets being at a premium.
Glenn Moore: Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore? is on at the Pleasance Courtyard (Forth) until August 24 (not 12 and 13)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/glenn-moore-please-sir-glenn-i-have-some-moore