Afternoon Delight pitches itself as a good way to sample some of the comedy flavours going on at the Fringe. It’s a savvy move for anyone prone to commitment phobia when faced with entertainment; who falls into this category, I’m not sure. Think of it as Comedy Speed Dating, except less sweating because you’re not the one being judged. You judge them. Marvellous.
Compere Paul Sweeny, who looks like Freddy Mercury in a big way if he were to be resurrected and work on a pirate ship, does a great job at warming the crowd up. His brand of weird, slightly creepy humour sets the tone of the afternoon, which is odd yet very enjoyable. Seven acts grace the stage including magician and comedian Alan Hudson, whose brand of thimble magic can only be described as visionary, as well as Matt Ewin’s character Bruce Hammers, who, if he were a plate of canapés, would have been what I circled round most of the evening. His act is inspired and thoroughly good fun.
Anthony King’s songs, such as ‘Have you ever pushed someone off a cliff and blamed it on the wind?’, are hilariously morbid, and Carl Hutchinson’s stand up is another highlight. While performance style and theme varies, when it comes to the quality of the acts, nothing falls below par. Afternoon Delight is a perfect way to have a taster of some of the talent showing at the Fringe this year and it leaves you hungry for more.
