Review: EDINBURGH 2024: PAUL WILLIAMS: MAMIYA 7, Assembly Roxy

“It’s gonna be my year”

 Paul Williams: Mamiya 7 has a description that leaves much to the imagination. All we are told is that “Paul bought a second-hand film camera last year and it turned out the previous owner had left a used-up roll of film in it” and that this will be the theme of the show. And indeed, the description is not lying. There is a glass bowl on the stage with several pieces of paper in it and, after expressing his disappointment in the lack of audience members contributing to the bowl with notes of their own, Williams reads out three of the words written on the papers - “Paris,” “camera” and “open relationship.” Almost as if everything had been planned for this reveal . . . But more on that later.

The first song is upbeat, with Williams declaring that it’s going to be his year (the setting is 2022) before launching into the meat of the show. He won a bid for a camera - a Mamiya 7, to be specific (as you might have guessed) - on eBay and, once he gets it, he finds that there is a used-up roll of film still in it. This leads to Williams rushing to a shop in Paris to get the film developed, illustrated by a hilarious interaction between him and the shop employee, both played by Williams. 

What do the photographs reveal once they are developed? Sights and scenes of Los Angeles, California. We are shown some of the photographs as Williams begins to construct a story of the photographer’s life, weaving together the photos to make a story. Based on the seller’s username on eBay, he determines that her name is Amanda and, almost immediately, begins to fall in love with her. On a whim, he decides to travel to Los Angeles to retrace the steps of this mysterious photographer, along with sending her a message on eBay to see if it would be possible for them to meet in person. 

The way Williams uses visuals, particularly the photos taken on the Mamiya 7, to enhance the show is brilliant. There are a few visual gags that make for some surprising laughs, especially against the contrast of Williams and his search for romance in California. But, even with the photographs and the stories told by Williams, things are not always what they seem, and as the show progresses, things start to become revealed in ways that one might not expect. 

Along with the main story of photography and love, Williams allows himself to discuss other topics. An unexpected yet absolutely delightful joke involves Kinder Surprises and the actual element of surprise that they fail to contain, something completely unrelated to the show as a whole but still hilarious and example of Williams’s fantastic sense of humour. It’s a perfect mix of observational and absurd that, when combined with some original music, makes for a fantastic performance. Another highlight? Williams’s thoughts on the conspiracy around the movie Frozen, a conspiracy that I myself have contemplated many a time. These tangents do occasionally overstay their welcome, including one particular bit that focuses a bit too much on paedophilia, but the rest of the show makes up for these moments. 

Ultimately, Paul Williams: Mamiya 7 is a fun tale of love and photographers, brought together through some great songs and comedy. I doubt that Williams will have another show like this one in the future, but I hope to see some more music and comedy from him in the future!

Paul Williams: Mamiya 7 ran until 25 August at Assembly Roxy - Upstairs.

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