home
|
about
|
news
|
contents
|
gossip
|
photographs
|
venues
|
brighton
|
dublin
|
edinburgh
|
film
|
features
|
interviews
|
awards
|
fashion
|
recipes
|
no more drinks
|
newsletter
|
links
|
contact
Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Over The Hill
Verdict: All about Benny
Edinburgh 06 - Sweet ECA
12-20 August - 16:05 (1:00)
Matt Byrne is a man on a mission to bring back the late comedian Benny Hill.
Over the Hill is somewhere between tribute show, and manifesto. Matt Byrne's likeness to Benny Hill allows him to play the cheery comic well, while telling his life story in the gaps between songs – including Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West.
Benny Hill's story is an interesting tale - how a man who suffered terrible stage fright got to the top of the entertainment industry, becoming ITV's biggest star, and staying at the top of the TV industry for decades. Its ending is tragic – Benny Hill's untimely death, after he fell out of favour with TV execs of the late 1980s - despite still generating reasonable audiences, and selling internationally.
There are interesting facts, such as how much Benny Hill wrote himself; and on the other side, his attitude to the comic creations of others. There are laughs too, among the facts and attempts to clarify misrepresentations of Benny Hill over the years. Matt Byrne finishes on an edited tribute version of Ernie - before getting chased off stage by a woman with a broom.
The ideal audience for Over The Hill may be the casual fan. Anyone knowing nothing about Benny Hill is unlikely to be interested enough to try it. The dedicated fans won’t learn anything new - and would leave Matt Byrne preaching to the choir in his crusade to improve Hill's recognition and fan-base.
But those who remember enjoying the work of Alfred Hawthorne Hill will leave - complete with badge - satisfied.
Cast Credits: Matt Byrne. Woman with Broom - Margaret Moore.
Company Credits: Written and Produced by Matt Byrne. Director - Tony Moore. Sound & Lighting - Damien Bates.
END
(c) Gill Smith 2006
reviewed Friday 18 August 06 / Sweet ECA
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
