There’s a moment midway through this performance of Nick Hornedo’s Fringe debut where someone in the audience gets hearty applause for correctly explaining theatre equipment, at which Hornedo pretends to end the show, on a high – which says a lot about how the first half went. And that’s a shame, as this tale of teenage crushes has lots of potential, albeit maybe as a poignant Netflix drama, not a live experience, in its current form.
We get off to a tricky start, as the New York-based comic wanders on unannounced. It’s possibly a glitch, or perhaps purposefully setting a tone; low-key, vaguely profound, in that ever-influential Mike Birbiglia envelope. To his credit, Hornedo seems unfazed that some half-decent lines then get little response, but it could have been very different, if he’d opened with something big. And he has it.
The hook for this show – referenced in the title – is an excruciating break-up video he gave a school girlfriend. And a random clip is running onscreen beforehand, but that’s it until the finale. Which is great, but too late. Tease that heavily early on, the show’s ‘am I weird?’ subtext would make more sense, and we might well be on board. Chekhov’s Gun doesn’t work if you don’t show the gun.
Nick Hornedo: Watch This When You Get Home, Underbelly Bristo Square, until 24 Aug (not 11), 2.25pm