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Pip Utton as Dylan

 
Rebecca Vines Review by Rebecca Vines 5 Published: 9 Aug 2022 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 3 Aug 2022-29 Aug 2022

Pip Utton really is extraordinary. The Fringe staple - much respected for his one-man shows about as diverse a cast of characters as Hitler, Einstein, Churchill, Bacon, Thatcher, Dickens – is a byword for class and consistency.

A magnificent exemplification of the power of the one man show

In this year’s treat, Utton takes on Bob Dylan and within seconds, we are entranced by the soft accent, signature curls and effortless rapport with the audience who, for the concept of the piece, are treated as tame journalists enjoying a private audience in Dylan’s dressing room.

This amble through the biographical nuggets of Dylan’s life, shruggingly offered with a bemused disregard for the hero worship which has followed him throughout his career, is pinpointedly precise in its apparent nonchalance. Utton’s delivery is so immaculately naturalistic that one forgets this is a show at all: rapt by Dylan’s understated charm, our time is spent revelling in his modest anecdotes for what they are rather than marvel at the artistry of his characterisation.

We hear of Dylan’s start in life, his musical influences, his easy sympathy for others and unease with icon status. His celebrity titbits are juicy and informative (we want to hear more about his friendship with 'Lenny' Cohen); his reaction to oft-parroted questions gently irritable. There is a bewildered benevolence running through the characterisation which although not unexpected, is nevertheless endearing for one so majestically lauded.

There is a reason that Utton can boast years worth of five star reviews Fringe after Fringe after Fringe; and this particular show is not just a testament to his skill, or even to Dylan's ongoing magnetism, but a magnificent exemplification of the power of the one man show.

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The Blurb:

Performer: Fringe legend Pip Utton, Stage Special Award for Excellence, etc... Author: John Clancy, multi Fringe First-winning playwright (Fatboy, The Event). Director: David Calvitto, The Stage Best Actor Award winner. Sometime in the imaginary future it's Bob Dylan's final concert. You have a backstage pass. An intimate, revealing 'final reckoning'. Dylan settles old scores, spins a few tall tales and reflects on over 60 years in the public eye. In his inimitable style, Pip connects Dylan with the audience, removes the mask of a legend and reveals the man you thought you knew.