Eric is a one-man sketch comedy show, that one man being the impressive Scott Gooding, who at first appears to be a suited everyman, but as each sketch develops further broadens his range so that by the end of the hour you’re convinced he could believably inhabit any character he set his mind towards. This is a canvas put to good use by the show- each sketch feels fresh by cannily drawing from a large pool of writers, with credits including Adam Cass, Dom Golding, Emilie Collyer, Glyn Roberts, Lally Katz, Michele Lee, Ben McKenzie, Robert Reid, Robert Rorke and Nic Velissaris. Eric began life at last year’s Fringe festival, and since then the creators have taken the best sketches from that run, tweaked them slightly for the comedy festival audience, dropped a few sketches and added some more to the lineup, so if you saw Eric during its first run, there’s still some value in catching it again to see how the show has evolved over time.
The first sketch is one of the new ones and is completely wordless, with Scott bounding onto the stage wearing huge boxing gloves, and then proceeding to brandish a variety of ever more ridiculous weapons in order to win the match. This really sets the scene for the rest of the show, because Scott really does use every tool in the comedy box to coax a laugh, from the subtle to the gross, the sharply original to the slightly hokey. While not every sketch struck home for me personally, there was not a single one that didn’t have the majority of the audience laughing. From the late-night DJ who hangs out with the strangest of friends to the Bond villain who just can’t get good help, there really is something here for anyone who wants to have a good time and see some great sketch comedy.
This show has been one of the highlights of the fest so far, and comes recommended.
For more info and booking details go to Eric – The One Man Sketch Comedy Show