Eric is a friendly, unassuming man whose
His show’s simple premise works very well in its Fringe setting, and is a captivating hour in which you will learn and laugh in equal measure.
He truly is a very gifted storyteller. Perhaps due to his outwardly unassuming nature and his casual way of recounting his life, the impact of his stories is often greater than expected, packing more of a punch. Likewise, for the civilians among us, this is an eye-opening insight into the pressures of being a submariner, a subject rarely, as Eric laments, discussed in a realistic way in the mainstream media. Eric’s presentation is both true to life and at times extremely gripping - life-or-death situations are told in such a way that at one point this reviewer feared for Eric’s life despite his presence on stage. He does use this ability to manipulate our emotions to trick the audience during one anecdote, and while he does come clean, it is perhaps a little cheap to do so, also underlining the possible fiction of his stories, which breaks the spell a little.
One way in which he could enhance his show is by furthering his use of visual aids on the screen behind him. He already uses the slides he has to great effect, as well as having a funny opening video, though the parts of the show in which these are not present seem a little wasted, as he uses them so effectively during the rest of the piece. There is also a stilted section in the middle in which he discusses his flyers, which was a little too awkwardly done, and better left to the end if done at all. Additionally, one or two technical explanations of submarine equipment – while on the whole genuinely fascinating if not funny, something Eric admits himself – were a little bit too technical, loosening the raconteurs grip on his audience a little.
Despite this, his show’s simple premise works very well in its Fringe setting, and is a captivating hour in which you will learn and laugh in equal measure.
