John Robertson bursts onto the stage with an energy that immediately makes it clear this is not a conventional comedy show. With long white hair, bulging eyes, and relentless intensity, he looks almost like a character straight out of The Witcher, if there are any video game fanatics reading. This was my first experience of the Free Festival at this year’s Fringe; I am not quite sure what to expect. The discovery that the show is also live streamed on Twitch adds another unusual layer to an already unconventional performance.
There is little traditional narrative. Instead, Robertson appears to feed off the room, moving wherever the audience’s energy takes him. He jumps into the crowd, confronts audience members, and embraces moments of complete unpredictability. In one particularly surreal moment, which literally made me cover my eyes, two audience members participate in an intimate act by sucking his nipples while he continues reading poetry to the room. Yes, you read that correctly, and somehow Robertson’s confidence makes even the most unexpected moments feel deliberate.
His electric banjo and songs add another dimension, while his years of comedy experience allow him to maintain control despite the apparent chaos. Robertson somehow talks about everything and nothing simultaneously. The show is frantic, strange, and completely unpredictable, but that becomes its greatest strength. I have little idea what will happen next, and I enjoy every minute of it. Expect the unexpected.
John Robertson: Excitable Boy! 19:00 at The Ballroom at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House at 7 pm from August 6-30th
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/john-robertson-excitable-boy
