Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

After a promising debut last year, Adam Flood struggles to convert the try with a show that feels like it’s running short on ideas. 

Charismatic first outings like Remoulded have a built-in arc – you get to introduce yourself, talk about where you’re from and show how it led to the person you are today. For follow-up shows, comics have to look a little deeper. 

Flood’s gone for the self-improvement angle here. Recently in his life, he’s taken a few hits: his Nan died, his girlfriend left him and he’s repressing his feelings about it, so it’s time to try a handful of generic coping strategies (meditation, running a marathon, spirituality etc) and write comedy routines about it. 

Unfortunately, neither half of the show really resonates, the weak narrative thrust given inconsistent support by the joke writing, which has some real highs and equally real lows. This tour through the spheres of self-help feels especially contrived, and must be verging on hack by now.
 
This particular gig was stifled further by a very hesitant crowd of tourists who weren’t going for the reference points, but not all the blame can be laid at their door. 

To keep the energy up, Flood performs very fast and very loudly, but the effect is more harsh than invigorating, possibly because he doesn’t look like he’s having much fun up there. 

In his last show, he bridged any gaps with self-composed pop songs, but he hasn’t really written any this year. The main trick he has up his sleeve – and it’s a fantastic one – is a series of Google reviews written by his father under the pseudonym The Cheshire Sage, which Flood has set to music and sings under heavy autotune. 

Even though the music is basically the same every time, these are hilarious, and I could happily listen to a whole album of them. Well, an EP at least. 

It’s a promising sign that Flood still has some great ideas – maybe he just needs to leave it a little longer between shows to allow them time to mature.

Review date: 22 Aug 2024
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Tron)