I had a laugh even on the way in to see Sir Barrington Ganch the other day. My friend had seen flyers which mentioned that if you made friends with him on Facebook, then you could get a discount off your ticket. So, having done just that last week, she boldly sought to wield this mighty influence at the C Cubed box office. "May I have one ticket to Sir Barrington Ganch, please?" "Yes, of course." "Also, I'm actually friends with him on Facebook." Blank look. Then, "Well, that won't get you a free ticket . . . ." And indeed it should not.
But, uncoordinated promotional devices aside, it's hard to imagine anyone not wanting to make friends with the hugely endearing dottyness of this septuagenarian titan among the English thesping class. From the tot of Remy Martin handed to you on your way in, to the cute wee badge handed to you on your way out, this is a show designed to please.
Clever use of video enables Sir B to fully exploit the staggering wealth of his back catalogue, including gems such as his 60s sitcom, Oh, Jesus, and his unforgettable guest appearance with Hannah Gordon (yes, it really is she!) on Watercolour Challenge. However, lest you think Sir Barrington's glories are all in the past, he was still more than capable of giving the requisite gusto to his ukulele classic, "Mrs Turnbull's Knickers." In fact, even the man behind me - who seemed to be blowing a couple of litres of wallpaper paste out of his nose - seemed to snort just that little bit harder during the magnificently random coda to this song.
There are, of course, hundreds of one-man shows at this year's Fringe (more than in previous years is my impression, though I could be wrong), but you will be very hard-pushed to find one that is more completely conceived, more warmly delivered or more thoroughly enjoyable than Sir Barrington Ganch. May he live long and prosper.
Times: Jul 31 - Aug 25 at 17:30