Shaun Guff @ Hoots at Potterrow
He's hit rock bottom so you don't have to – Shaun Guff's self-help seminar is a tightly-written and sharply-delivered treat
It becomes clear within moments of the start of Shaun Guff: Enuff is Enuff that you have not simply bought a ticket to a standard comedy show. Instead, you have willingly enrolled in a high-energy, life-changing seminar.
The delusional, hyper-confident Guff is the creation of Clementine Bogg-Hargroves, representing character acting at its very best. Through this ludicrous persona, Bogg-Hargroves playfully sends up the world of male empowerment retreats and self-help gurus with sharp, satirical precision. This is elevated even further by the fact that the show takes place inside a converted shipping container.
Decked out in a backwards baseball cap, Guff enters pumping his fist to Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough, substituting the track's title for his own name as he hypes up the room. The seminar charts Guff's attempt to bounce back following a painful separation from his ex-wife, Helen, and their young child. He reassures the crowd: "I've hit rock bottom so you don't have to.”
The writing is tight, with Bogg-Hargroves taking deliberate pauses to let lines breathe, allowing the audience to squirm in the delicious awkwardness of inappropriate oversharing. Between imparting earthly pearls of wisdom, Guff shares anecdotes about therapy sessions and getting catfished on dating apps. Supported by a PowerPoint presentation packed with questionable visuals and even more dubious pseudoscience, the audience gets a raw look at his path back to "the top".
Interactive elements elevate the hour further. At one point, Guff invites the audience to imagine building a door to change, only to reveal a literal prop door to walk through. A staged therapy roleplay session proves an obvious crowd-pleaser, with Bogg-Hargroves demonstrating sharp crowd work and an ability to roll with the punches.
By the end, audience members are presented with a QR code where they can claim a certificate of completion, leaving the venue giggling at the sheer commitment to total immersion.
Shaun Guff: Enuff is Enuff, Hoots at Potterrow (Wee Container 2), until 30 Aug, 6.20pm, pay-what-you-can, £10.50-£16.50