Review – Best of the Edinburgh Fest

Audiences who trickled in for last night’s “Cheap Tuesday” offer of ‘Best of the Edinburgh Fest’, received a performance that was anything but cheap or second-rate. A regular Adelaide Fringe highlight, the show delivered the promised three international acts for the price of one. For 2015, the talked about trio, two of whom from the esteemed Edinburgh Fringe were Chris Martin (UK) and John Hastings (Canada), and were completed by Carl Donnelly (UK).

Whether it was due to the comfortable and grand Palace Nova surroundings, or simply that the performers were confident with the quality and high standard of their acts, all three comics masterfully controlled their entertaining and well rehearsed repertoires with absolute ease.

Chris Martin opened, looking deceptively innocent but he soon held accountable the laid-back Adelaide audience for manners, or better their lack of. Now warmed up, with a sheepishly peckish audience, he performed fluidly in an engaging conversational style. Peculiar anecdotes included owls in weddings, mastering seduction while sporting a bedtime dental mouthguard, and the taxing task of checking in a cooked chicken to a nightclub cloakroom. Relaxed but sharp, Martin sated us.

Next, John Hastings, cruised onto stage, self-described as “Hitler’s wet dream”. Audiences astutely realized what was likely to follow would be a hell of a lot darker and riskier. John Master-Not-To-Be-Messed-With Hastings, in a deeply troubling way was utterly entertaining. Like a towering Goliath giant, he heavily fed from the daring but daft Davids thrown at his path from the audience, and continued to share his premature birth ordeal. Endless laughter proving it was impossible to topple this talented Goliath.

Carl Donnelly, whilst weaker still gave a solid performance to end. Covering semen-samples, stripteases at fiftieths and divorce (not in that order) he did not disappoint. Edinburgh certainly served Adelaide with the best.