Edinburgh Fringe 2022
Harry Potter or My Girlfriend… Who Do I Love More?
Aaron Simmonds
Genre: Comedic, Comedy, Stand-Up
Venue: PBH's Free Fringe at Bannermans
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
an hour of sit-up comedy from comedian Aaron Simmonds. “How do you choose between two things you love? Particularly if one of those things is literally (fictionally) magical. Aaron Simmonds (Jewish Comedian of the Year 2017) loves Harry Potter (but not the author) but has he fallen in love with a Muggle? Can he turn his back on Hogwarts for the sake of his relationship? Could you?”
Review
In a consistently laugh-aloud hour at Bannermans in the free fringe, it probably helps to be at least a bit knowledgeable of the Harry Potter canon. Aaron Simmonds uses the question in the show title to consider the meaning and manifestation of love between people, and offloads some capably delivered anecdotes of love, sex, being disabled and sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. It’s a finely crafted hour that is rooted in autobiographical tales and reflections on his own unfolding chapters in the book of life. This is Aaron’s story, generously shared, eloquently reflected upon with plenty of sharply drawn references to those Potter books, films… audio books.
He is also a bit anarchic and the unpredictability of where the story will go next gives the show an edge, even a nice tension and audience anticipation. Yet we know there is a designed show here, a story intentionally unfolding. Simmonds casts a well prepared spell on us.
Simmonds is a masterful comedic storyteller, philosophical yet not afraid to wield a knob gag when it suits him. The many sub-plots, twists and payoff lines do effectively form part of a wider inquiry into his own physical and emotional challenges in life. He is, to use an over-employed word at the fringe, relatable as is this hour of comedy.
He had to audience in the palm of his comedy-wand holding hand. He knows his Potter better than most of us ever will, and used it both literally and metaphorically to add texture and depth to his storytelling.
Once or twice the material dipped as some ad-libbing unhinged him too far from the narrative. But that was rare in an accomplished hour that had the audience fully engaged, involved and thoroughly drawn into the story and this inquiry into the qualities of love and the comedy of errors we all make trying to make some sense of, and progress into, our own life journey.
i enjoyed the quips, the verbal side-swipes, the depth, the daring and the sheer humanity of this on stage muggle. Ravenclaws take cover, this comedian is a Gryffindor and he is going to get your snitch. Top quality comedy and highly recommended.