LET’S BE honest, most alumni of Eton and Oxford (ie much of the various Tory Cabinets over the past few years) aren’t exactly flavour of the month on this side of the border.
But Ivo Graham is bucking that trend as his Fringe run looks so likely to sell out he’s already arranging extra shows.
It’s basically impossible to hold Ivo’s educational background against him, despite the best efforts of Boris and Co. and your own personal political views.
He’s just such a loveable stage presence and takes self-deprecation to levels never before discovered.
Actually, I took self-deprecation classes last summer but I wasn’t terribly good at them. Sorry…
Ivo’s surfing a wave of popularity right now generated by his show-stealing – if catastrophically unsuccessful – stint on the latest series of Taskmaster, the highlight of which was his unlikely but beautiful comedy bromance with of all people Frankie Boyle.
In fact, before coming on he shows footage of his time on Taskmaster and I’d forgotten just how much time he spent with holding his head in his hands in anguished mortification.
As his brother asked him at Christmas, “You’re into humiliation, right?” and this show documents many of his more recent examples, a few of which involved the titular “organised fun”.
One of these leads seamlessly to the unique – and to my mind quite brilliant – wheeze of getting two audience members up on stage to play Top Trumps against each other.
And not just any pack of Top Trumps, this set is based on other members of the audience and I’m seriously considering buying a ticket to every available show to try and get my hands on what would be the ultimate personal Fringe memento.
Ivo may appear frequently flustered onstage but don’t be fooled, he knows exactly what he’s doing, and he’s doing it bloody well.
So if organised fun and the likelihood of being haunted by the image of Ivo dressed as Claudia Winkleman, fringed wig and too much kohl eye shadow included, sounds like your thing, grab a ticket while you can.
Ivo Graham: Organised Fun
18:30
Pleasance Courtyard (The Grand)
Until 27 August
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ivo-graham-organised-fun
