I realise I’m breaking the Greek code by saying this, but George Michael is Greek is quite possibly the most underwhelming show I’ve ever seen. I understand I’ll need to explain my reasoning for this, but if you are even the slightest bit dubious, by all means, please do go and see for yourself.
An epic Greek tragedy.
The show starts with a solid premise — we all love George Michael so the mere mention of his name is enough to please an audience. But if you think you’re going to hear anything of interest about George Michael, think again.
The show takes on a whole different lease of life, discussing why there are so many Greek men named George and highlighting many famous people with Greek heritage. There is so much material to play with here, and a lot of comedic potential, however the punchlines in this show fall flat as there is no attempt to create any suspense or surprise. The audience is left confused as to whether they should laugh or cry.
A tiny room in the City Cafe, with no tech facilities, is always going to pose a problem for a performer. However there are ways to style it out so spectators don't feel like they’re sitting in a lecture theatre with a newly-qualified tutor who's fumbling over their buttons. Dimarelos either doesn't know these ways or has decided not to utilise them. Had he intended the show to be deliberately blunderous, it would be a stroke of genius but the reality is the set lacked the finesse an Edinburgh show requires.
The show does pick up right at the end when Dimarelos takes us through the decades, from the 1950s to the present day using music, dance and jokes. Perhaps the performer should incorporate more physical comedy into his act as this is clearly where his strengths lie. This isn't enough to redeem the set though and ironically we're left with one of the most Hellenic performances you could possibly see — an epic Greek tragedy.
