Reviews

Robin Ince's Blooming Buzzing Confusion (Edinburgh Fringe)

Ince sets out to explore conciousness in his latest solo show

The words "if you’re looking for structure, you may have come to the wrong place" glare down from the screen before Robin Ince takes to the stage. And it’s true, Ince does have a tendency to just say whatever pops into his head at any given moment.

Which could be an issue, if he wasn’t so darn funny. With a focus on the mind, and all that lurks within, Ince switches from dolphins on LSD and bees on cocaine to Gogglebox (suffice to say he doesn’t like it), to imps of the mind and Carl Sagan, an old favourite of his. But no physics this time – the physicists that have come to his previous shows are too pedantic, he tells us.

The screen pre-show deals with formulaic "front row" patter that so many comedians use – your hat suggests a distinct lack of disposable income, that kind of thing – which allows Ince to spend the whole 70 minutes, as it becomes, firing thoughts on all cylinders.

He likens Legoland to Waiting for Godot, tells us Brian Cox’s favourite musical and regales stories of Brian Blessed, Peter Higgs and psychological experiments.

Ince’s passion is incredible, and when it comes to mind envy, he's high on my list. As he says, one of the greatest acts of rebellion is curiosity. By this measure he must be one of the biggest rebels out there.

Robin Ince's Blooming Buzzing Confusion runs at Stand III until 12 August

FOR MORE ON EDINBURGH 2014 VISIT WHATSONSTAGE.COM/EDINBURGH-FESTIVAL