As part of our Surrey in Edinburgh series we sent one of our most experienced theatre reviewers up to the Fringe to see what's going on. Amanda Hodges was pleasantly tickled by this comic monologue from Guy Masterson giving it 4 STARS
After some of the Fringe’s eclectic fare what a relief it is to sit down and enjoy an hour of a Guy Masterson show, safe in the knowledge one’s seeing a consummate professional at work. This year he’s bravely offering a comic monologue based on his own experiences of courting his beautiful wife Brigitta and discovering, to his horror, that she has another all-important man in her life, her German Spitz Nelson.
The first part of the show involves Masterson explaining how he came up with the idea for this year’s performance and this section is the only part of the hour that lacks fizz. Once he starts relating the main story we accelerate into overdrive and all proceeds at a cracking pace.
Masterson knows he has won the lottery of life in finding Brigitta and such luck brings inevitable sacrifice, in this case much of his sanity over the ensuing years. As relayed by Masterson Nelson is no ordinary dog. An animal who can defecate at random and has an uncanny ability to predict Masterson’s actions, an epic battle of wills commences with the dog invariably triumphant.
Hatching plots that would credit any criminal mastermind (like sneaking Nelson surreptitiously into Britain via hovercraft) Masterson does his level best to try and maintain his equilibrium which is a challenge in the face of Brigitta’s adoration for her pooch and his thinly veiled contempt which often escalates into all-out war.
Masterson is a superb storyteller and he brings Nelson to life so vividly one can see the dog in all his glory, every snarl, sniff and gesture of canine disdain conjured with absolute veracity. A treat for dog-lovers and naysayers everywhere.
Love & Canine Integration is at the Assembly Roxy daily at 5.40pm until August 28 for tickets visit tickets.edfringe.com or call 0131 623 3030
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