Christopher Hall @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
Christopher Hall squeezes a lot – maybe too much – into his new high-energy show, but he does know how to bring a party to the Fringe
Christopher Hall begins his high-energy set exactly as he means to go on. Taking to the stage pirouetting and voguing, he playfully banters with the front rows before even reaching the microphone. It feels entirely fitting that the show is titled Pizazz. It stands as a love letter to being extra and messy at a stage in the comedian's life when all his friends are settling down, getting married, and having babies. Since he last performed at the Fringe, Hall reveals he has exited his "early mid-30s" to simply his mid-30s.
Hall effortlessly meanders between anecdotes about best girl friends, feeling completely out of place on a Prague stag do, and the nightmares of wedding seating plans. The hour hits its apex when he is simply conversing with the room. He swaps stories with members of the crowd, who oblige accordingly and are rewarded with feeling as though they were right there with Hall on the nights in question. He's a natural crowd worker. Holding a martini coupette, he recounts experiences with Magic Mike Live, Brits abroad in European resorts, and the specific nostalgia behind Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents. The audience hangs on his every word as if he is relaying the juiciest gossip imaginable.
At times, however, it feels as though there is almost too much content packed into the hour. A tighter focus on the highest quality material rather than sheer abundance would streamline the performance. Given his background in finding initial success on social media, where he has amassed over half a million followers on Instagram, he seems accustomed to a rapid-fire pace designed to keep eyes on him constantly.
Even so, Hall delivers precisely what his audience comes for, and his fans lap it up. At the show's conclusion, he takes on the role of a club shot girl, offering up a horribly coloured, non-descript liqueur to the front rows. At its peak, Hall succeeds in his main objective, bringing the party to the Fringe.
Christopher Hall: Pizazz, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Lounge), until 31 Aug, 8.20pm, £15.50-£17.50