32 Below
Aug 13-27 (20:30)
Olet Lucernam
Wow ! Ten days gone already in Edinburgh – it goes quick – too quick! But the shows are flowing thick & fast still, & so to the Moontalking of Matt Hobs. OK, there is no point in beating about the bush, I’ll come straight out & say it – this is a niche show. For anyone interested in the Moon Landings you’re gonna really adore it, as was well-attested by the seriously loving chuckle-energy Matt was creating in the cellar room of 32 Below.
This maestro of Bristolian wit has brought a fresh solo production to Edinburgh, which is a real exploration of all things Moon Landing, powerpointed to perfection, & compositively full of fun & interesting facts. I mean, who out there knows about the Moon Landing’s ‘designated driver,’ a man call’d Michael Collins, who never left the module while on the moon. Yeah, that kinda stuff, it’s cool, y’know – there was all Humanity, prostate under the laws of gravity, while the tiniest atomic slither of its DNA was hurtling into the very heavens hitherto deem’d unconquerable. Momentous times indeed!
Intriguingly, but I don’t think on purpose, this show really does mirror an Apollo expedition – an explosive blast off, an exciting climb thro the stratospheres of his materielle, some actual shots of the moon landing, follow’d by a gentle rash of explorations about a vacuumous wildnerness. That’s a little harsh on Matt, actually, cos what I’m really trying to say is the first half was full of comedic energy, but the second was more of an A-level science lecture, when pictures of monkeys in space-suits really jarr’d with the little Buddha in me.
What was really funny, on a different level, is that only two people rais’d their hands to say they were suspicious that the Moon Landings weren’t actually real – & bloody hell, I was one of ’em. This was follow’d by a brief attack on Conspiracy Theorists – which Matt, if you’re reading this, has had no effect whatsoever on my appreciation of your show. What did inspire me, however, is the enlightening information proffer’d as to the fact that footage of the Apollo 12 moon landing was conveniently ‘lost’ when the astronaut pointed the camera at the sun! That there’s golden manna for Conspiracy Theorists, & I think I’ll nip up to the National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge tomorrow morning & see what Stanley Kubrick was up to in November 1969. Clearly not working on the second moon landing.
But that’s just me bouncing about a bit, riffing of Matt’s excellent scholarship, for at the core of ‘Moontalker,’ Matt entertains us all thro’ both his, & our, love of knowledge. He is a qualified scientist, & also possesses innate potential to be very funny – but on this particular occasion, at this particular Fringe, I feel that only if you have any interest in space, astronauts, the moon, & especially the landings upon it – that you’ll truly enjoy this show. It’ll probably make your Fringe.
Ultimately, its learning, its comedy & its cool; & with Matt being such a smashing guy, like, all serv’d up with a dash of Falstaffian charisma, ‘Moontalking’ is a fascinating wee treat at the Free Fringe.
Damo
Mumble Comedy 