★★★☆☆

Warning: Review contains distressing themes, strong language/swearing

Review by John Gibson. Venue 20. Assembly Rooms – Powder Room @18:20

Fresh from seeing Lottie Hatchet Took A Hatchet – and enjoying the energy and imagination of that company – I was keen to check out one of their solo-shows. Tom DeTrinis had one of the smaller roles in that play so it seemed appropriate that (as the utility player in Lottie) he would have the requisite flexibility and toolset for a character-driven hour at the Fringe.

This early evening show involves vignettes and storytelling about an early life on Long Island, but as DeTrinis describes the tension between his large Christian family and his blossoming need for cock, some of the audience seem surprised by his frankness.

Undeterred, the engaging and industrious performer continues outlining his problems with the city, in a skit where an insouciant bar tender offers a sexual favour as compensation for mistakenly giving his credit card to another patron. The deliver and pitch of the character work feels authentic and appropriately infuriating, but this is the wrong audience to deliver such material to.

The family observations are as dysfunctional as advertised and his portrayal of toxic men is strong; I would have liked a little more of these well-honed, and no-doubt, hard-won insights into the DeTrinis men. The material that feels autobiographical gets less laughs than the more generic characterisations, and DeTrinis’ demonstration of being comfortable both in comedy and drama actually costs him some laughs.

There’s also a story of when he was twelve which could have been expanded upon and mined for greater and more substantial laughs at the expense of some of the family drama. But it’s fun to see his relish when he’s retelling stories of unfairness and insanity, and this is where his set is strongest and most relatable. Perhaps tweaking the ratio of serious personal insight and skittish character work would improve the hour and make it more stronger, but as it is, this a perfectly pleasant way to spend an hour at the Fringe.