Pleasance Courtyard
Aug 17th – 27th (19:10)
Consilio Manuque
If you want to see an absolutely perfect show at the Edinburgh Fringe this year go and take in Josh Wellers magically funny ‘Age Against the Machine’, I know a hilarious name, well done Josh and here we went. I find that the Pleasance Courtyard has some interesting interior decor, shaping up a crowd in a great mood. Its various rooms are dotted around the complex. I always love the sloping seats that we stepped into with their enticing held intimacy that Josh made e bee line for straight away he gobbled up its possibilities.
The welcome kicks in when the music dies down, we quieten and the stage goes black; a voice fills the room introducing the coming act, these three things work great every time bringing so much of a sequence to events to come and give’s a shot of adrenalin. So on pops the soon to be master of ceremonies Josh Weller, the shows writer and performer.
With his very intense presence immediately obvious was the size of his brain, he had written this in the name of music, and with music as a strong aid a story came through in his (famous) failure to become successful as a musician. His gloriously dedication attention to detail alone was commendably verbalised and could have covered an entire show. In fact every little detail he left behind could cover a lot of theatre, which I think is cousin to comedy because surely both are the act you see before you.
His readiness even shone from his eyes as he would peer at us over his charming and friendly looking glasses. He was able to be genuine on stage; that may sound simple but is hard to try. He did it in a way that paved milestones of perfect gags, punch lines and a willingness for gesticulation and ruckus singing.
He has led an interesting life from what he told us, setting about following his then young heart. His love for music took him on a long journey; going to London, gigging in the extreme, pursuing being signed (which he managed to do), all of it seemed to be with the good grace of a sense of humour (though in Age against…his wit may have been sharpened with age).
Very fabulous, very prepared totally condensing and relaxed as a performer taking us in to the depths of the Music business and its calamity as a protagonist of destroying creativity. I thanked him internally for all the heads up warning about the real life of a musician.
His cutting jokes created genuine laughter as he reached every level he could find in his Fringe debut. It was blended in all of his ways, putting up pictures, art photographs and pivotal albums covers of the eighties. Of himself as a youngster (who believed totally that he would make it), he looked and dressed to a quirky beat (all his own) and took to an extent of putting together a greatly piercing sheer mass of entertaining befudgery.
Finding nothing down in any of his fast paced hour I can say that this invitation for you to go and see him in his role as master of ceremonies, a humble solo show with ready genius, physically, mentally and spiritually on fire and just lovable, is one that will melt your heart in laughter.
Daniel Donnelly
Mumble Comedy 