Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour @ Summerhall
Australian comedian Conk puts himself and his audience through their paces in a Dadaist explosion of energy and euphoria
As Conk stands kitted out in an electric blue suit in front of a projected sixty-minute timer, the opening whistle of a particular tune blazes through the speakers. There is no mistaking what the audience holds a ticket for. A man, singing the same song, over and over again, for an hour.
Immediately, the toe-tapping begins. The long road ahead is acknowledged right from the start, with the clowning comic anxiously and playfully glancing back at the timer. Yet, when the tune starts for the fourth time in thirteen minutes, you wonder where else this premise can possibly go. Acting as equal parts conductor and personal trainer, Conk proceeds to put himself and the punters through round after round of mental and physical HIIT exercises. The audience, just like him, fully buys into the absurdity of it all.
One spoiler that can be revealed is that the blue suit does not stay on for long as the sweat pours. For a stretch, his moustachioed face and white vest evoke another famous frontman, delivering something far closer to Dadaism than a traditional comedy routine. He downs beers bought for him by audience members, eats bananas, plays air guitar, and does press-ups, all while continuously belting out the same lyrics.
The song is sung fifteen times in the hour. Once you accept that this is truly happening, the collective therapy begins. What Conk creates in the room is pure euphoria. Getting an entire audience fully invested can be a tall order, but the crowd participation makes the hour fly by, leaving everyone beaming and asking for just “one more song”.
Conk leaves you humming, and admittedly playing the same song on repeat on the walk home. There are far worse ways to spend a Friday evening than watching a man strip back both a song and himself until all you can do is surrender to the madness and join in.
Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour, Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre), until 31 Aug (not 17, 24), 7.45pm, £18.50/£16