Perhaps it’s unfair to want something more from a show who delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Man Sings Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour does just that, and by the time the show ends it’s clear that a lot of people in the room – whether already fans of Aussie clown Conk who’s built up a following for this kind of thing, or won round by his lust for life and, honestly, great vocals – had a five-star time.
In a 24-date fringe run, there will inevitably be at least one person who hated it (“what, was that it?”) but the show is, obviously, somewhat self-selecting of its audience. You came to see One Man Sings Same Song Over and Over for an Hour. What did you expect?
You may have gathered by now that it’s not a show that easily befits a star rating system (shocker). You may also have gathered that we’ve been kindly asked to not disclose the song. Let me say at this point that the show is more than the sum of its parts: Conk is a captivating performer who turns a piece of performance art into an undeniably fun time, even if the countdown behind him does occasionally leave you wondering how he’s going to fill it (spoiler alert: by singing the same song, over and over again, for an hour).
Again, not wanting to hit you over the head with it but, the show is as advertised. It’s also an impressive self-inflicted endurance test which allows for an experimental display of the spectrum of human emotions, from pep to despair and finally a sense of embodied togetherness that something so simple could only achieve at the Fringe. Could this work at a random regional art centre on an idle Tuesday? Possibly, but the festival delirium certainly helps.
Man Sings Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour, Summerhall, until 30 Aug (not 17, 24), 7.45pm