Writer: Daniel Kitson

Reviewer: Tracey Lowe

The Public Reviews Rating:

If there’s one thing Daniel Kitson appears to enjoy, it’s challenging his audiences. At the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe, he performed a show at ten in the morning, when most festival goers should still be recovering from their hangovers. This time, as in previous years, he has gone for a midnight start, only performing weeknights, to keep his audience up past their bedtime. When he takes the stage, and announces the show will last an hour and forty minutes, there are a few nervous giggles. He isn’t kidding.

Where Once Was Wonder is split into three sections, where Kitson tells three separate stories about his life. While each of these stories does have a definite plot, Kitson goes off on hilarious tangents, such as the creepiness of unrequited love and his rage at comedians doing adverts. He is alarmingly capable of switching between tenderness and fury. He is a very verbose comedian, but does not come across as pretentious for a second. Even his bouts of arrogance are strangely endearing.

As the show progresses, it appears that things are not quite what they seem, as Kitson begins to contradict himself. What may appear to be directionless ranting reveals itself to be something very clever indeed. Kitson doesn’t underestimate his audience, and even at this late hour knows that they are still hanging on his every word.

While sitting in a small, stuffy comedy club on uncomfortable seating on a weeknight may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, this is an experience not to be missed. Kitson is prolific; he has not only done several different quality shows in the past few years, this is one of his two phenomenal shows at this year’s Fringe. Sell your friends for a ticket, it’s really that good.

Runs until 26th August

Tags: Comedy, Daniel Kitson, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe, Stand Up, Storytelling, The Stand, Theatre, Where Once Was Wonder