Words: Kiera Harper
4 Stars
What does a gay fat man who can’t sing or dance do for a one man show? Delve into big philosophical questions like the meaning of life through PowerPoint, of course.
Guy Branum’s fringe debut Be Fruitful is a hilarious and deep examination of how, as a gay clinically obese man, his life has no true meaning. Explicitly stating he doesn’t want to be pitied for this conclusion, Branum takes the audience through slides on how he came to this realisation. The base of his argument comes from there being no space for gay people in religion or science, with religion condemning queer people and scientist Charles Darwin stating that humans’ main purpose in life is to reproduce. After going through the process of the extinction of the dinosaurs to the evolution of the world, Branum lands on the idea that his life is also meaningless because we live in a world not built for fat people. From proving these two points, Branum concludes that not only is his life meaningless, but he is unworthy of love.
While this seems like a heavy topic for a comedy set, Branum’s delivery and approach are incredibly funny. He brilliantly weaves in crowd work, personal anecdotes and talented comedy writing throughout the PowerPoint to keep the audience engaged and laughing. From him giving an audience member an ‘aww’ sign to use only three times in the show to his interactions with couples and their meet cutes, his crowd work adds a layer of hilarity to the show which pairs well with the times he challenges the audience on their assumptions about others’ identities.
With topics ranging from science, spirituality and the evolution of fruits, Guy Branum’s Be Fruitful is an intelligent, brilliant show you’ll want to see over and over again.
Guy Branum: Be Fruitful
Billiard Room at Gilded Balloon Teviot
20:30
5th – 31st August