Simultaneously one of the funniest and most heart-warming acts at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Kieran Hodgson is not to be missed. In
His anecdotes are hilariously relatable and astute, describing the follies of others and of the self in the blundering world of adolescence and young adulthood
A self-proclaimed ‘young, idealistic snob’, the young Hodgson talks of his romantic hopes and dreams being raised and then dashed, with four different loves each inspiring a different movement of the symphony, which he helpfully and hilariously illustrates on his violin. His anecdotes are hilariously relatable and astute, describing the follies of others and of the self in the blundering world of adolescence and young adulthood.
Hodgson, who is a fantastic storyteller, fills his show with hilarious one-liners, in addition to fantastic impersonations of the people, living and dead, from his story. He’s confidently self-deprecating, leaving the audience in stitches as he speaks of using Sprechgesang (operatically alternating between song and speech) as a seduction technique, and at his absolute fear of ever being a rule breaker. His endearing Englishness, with all the quaintness and repression that comes along with it, is turned into a comedy weapon that engaged the audience’s pathos. Hodgson transports the crowd along with him, resulting on this night in a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of the show.
Maestro is fantastic coming-of-age show that will be relatable for anyone who was a bit of a misfit growing up. Hodgson has just made himself the pioneering figurehead for all of those young classical music geeks. Hodgson is an intelligent, versatile and achingly funny talent to watch out for.
