John Hastings: Marked From The Start
The Pleasance until August 30
Four stars
John Hastings has a life story that’s like no other, but it takes a certain amount of courage to turn this into an hour-long stand-up routine. Perhaps that’s why his 2015 Fringe show has a more precarious emotional edge than most, as he works through personal issues regarding his parents and his medical condition. The Canadian comedian was born three months premature and today suffers from dyspraxia, which sometimes affects his hand-eye coordination and means that his brain and mouth don’t always match up. Indeed at several points during his set he’ll mangle a word or two but instantly spin that verbal accident into another off-the-cuff gag. His is a more theatrical, consciously dramatic delivery style: like the alt-rock band Pixies he namedrops at one point, he can do quiet-loud-quiet to attention-grabbing effect. But while his stories about growing up with his condition feel tightly written and, at times, almost performed, he’s razor-sharp when spinning off the script and grabbing an in-the-moment reaction from the audience.
Alan Morrison
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