Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

This is a thoughtful piece about isolation, loneliness, ageing, mental health and emotionally stifled male friendships, but in the disguise of wildly funny stories about an idiot doing dumb things. 

Turning 40, Chris Cantrill even bought himself a cape, which can be read both a literal and metaphorical red flag to highlight the fact his mid-life crisis was more than a clichéd bid to capture lost youth.

His wobble was triggered by a move from the city to the Cumbrian wilderness near Hadrian’s Wall during the ‘great blight’ of Covid, to give his young family some space. Superficially, he took to his new life, taking up hiking – or ‘big bastard walks’ as he chooses to call them – and making friends with some of the locals.

However they could never replace the three mates he’s had since school, Luke, Bob and Choad (really), now scattered but united as The Fellowship on WhatsApp, where they share memes – but not feelings. He describes the quartet as Jackass-era men, loving a prank and driving him to note: ‘There’s a darkness to male friendships.’

Cantrill’s romanticised ideal of rural life – informed by an interest in medieval history that he dips into here – stands in contrast to the isolated reality of his situation, although it takes a while for the groat to drop.

He self-effacingly mocks his ridiculous actions and silly obsessions, winningly portraying him and his mates as daffy idiots compared to his high-status wife. The tone is cheerful, with an upbeat energy and Cantrill's innate sense of timing and cadence that has the crowd chortling along. Plus, he has a knack for dropping silly, unexpected phrases into his stories for extra sprinkles of glee.

There’s no pretension or labouring of the messages here. His feelings are expressed through witty, silly observations and anecdotes, not navel-gazing; the ADHD that, of course, he’s been diagnosed with dismissed in a sentence.  Directed by Cantrill's Delightful Sausage double-act partner Amy Gledhill, Easily Swayed cracks on at pace and hides its solid construction under easy-going banter. 

Though he insists this is not a show for 20-somethings, ‘I’ve nothing for you’ he says up top, the wit and honesty of his show will resonate universally – just like you don’t have to be living a rural life to feel distanced from your friends. But for an hour at least, you can feel that Cantrill is your bestie.

Review date: 19 Aug 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Tron)