Edinburgh Fringe 2019
Low Down
Gavin Lind is of a certain age, gay and looking forward to his divorce. With an accent that belies his South African roots, where he got married, and his Australian residence, where he is getting divorced, this is a romp through the things he may have offended. From hecklers to a vegan accent, from annoying friends to being made to cheer up to the inevitable conclusion that as you get older, the things that you loved about your scene many years ago no longer hold that sparkle.
Review
Lind is an engaging raconteur. His stories have form and they manage to keep you engaged with what he is saying long after you have left the venue. It’s funny but the comedy has a degree of niche about it. Where I did not get offended, I am sure many others would elbow everything out the way to GET offended. As the father of a gay man, I might feel uncomfortable about Grindr and the scene described but it’s still far removed from me. I was still able though to really enjoy this and found myself smirking, smiling and laughing throughout.
The other issues with which I do not have a connection to included how he has managed to court his vegan self righteousness in such glowing terms and the trip to the Vegan Cathedral that is Henderson’s in toe, we also got lots of stuff on Chuggers, Body Dysmorphia and THAT prostate exam. The material didn’t always resonate with me, but I got it.
The style of delivery is quite laid back and given the size of the venue this works well enough. I think it ponders a little and needs more of a structure to it, leading to an inevitable conclusion but I may be descending into hetero normative reviewing there.
I wrote in my notes that this would be unlikely to be a topic of conversation on the way home with my aforementioned gay son but there you go, as he had seen another gay piece of theatre at the Fringe and we talked; I had plenty to offer and loads of discussion. The result was better than I could have imagined so here’s the thanks and there’s the show – worth a visit.
