What I Saw at the Fringe: Day 8, August 12
It was my second-to-last day, and I was so exhausted, but starting to feel more pressure to see all the things I could before heading back to Barcelona. There is so much to see and do, and not enough time!
The first show of the day was Alice Brine: Brinestorm, the Fringe debut of this up-and-coming, London-based comedian from New Zealand. Despite being thrown off at the start by some drama getting the audience all in, and a few repeated interruptions from phone alarms, she masterfully handled it and kept the energy up from start to finish. The hour is mostly about how Alice was diagnosed with and deals with ADHD, and includes some unbelievable stories of how it’s manifested in her life. It’s a laugh-packed, high-energy, somewhat chaotic hour that has been getting amazing reviews and sell-out audiences, so get your tickets while you can still see her in a small room. With her amazing presence and confidence on-stage, her career is sure to explode any minute now!
After a great Broke in Barcelona show, I went to see Jack Barry: Don’t Happy Be Worry as a recommendation from recent Clubhouse visitor Ray Badran. This was such a solid hour of stand up, which makes sense because Jack is no stranger to the Fringe. It’s a show about finding happiness after a global pandemic, and touches on ethical non-monogamy, drug use, mental health, language learning, and the perils of adopting an aging cat. His charisma on stage is infectious, and he had the audience constantly laughing along with him, even when getting a little more serious. It’s a great show from a killer act, so I highly recommend checking it out!
The surprise of the night was being asked to do Drunken Hecklers, a late-night show where the audience is encouraged to heckle (while still keeping it fun for everyone) run by Ori Halevy and Francesco Kirchoff. It was a packed room, and so much fun! I had a great time performing, and getting to see Stuart Kennedy, Andrew Packer and Leah Lamarr (as well as Francesco and Ori) deal with an appropriately rowdy Friday-night crowd. It’s a great late-night option, and perfect for audience members who want to be part of the show!
I’ve got one more night to see shows before heading back to Barcelona and back to real life, so stay tuned for my final post, and keep coming back for more reviews from other people!