BWW catches up with Grant Busé to chat about bringing SentiMENTAL to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Tell us a bit about SentiMENTAL.
SentiMENTAL is a music comedy show about nostalgia and our obsession with the "good old days". But were the good old days really that good? Are memories just fake news or was the eighties truly the peak of fashion? I explore these ideas and many more over an hour of stand up, live original music and a few surprises along the way. It's a celebration and mockery of our collective lust for childhood comforts.
Why bring it to Edinburgh?
This show was actually meant to go to Edinburgh in 2020. I guess COVID had other plans. Having said that, being forced to move back into your childhood home with your parents for a year does do wonders for writing a show about nostalgia. This will be my fifth Edinburgh Fringe and I can't wait to be back in the thick of it after two years in the thin of it.
What sets this apart from other stand-up shows?
This show is a purpose-built deconstruction of one seemingly simple phenomenon - nostalgia. I tackle it from every angle from historical to political to personal. I was also a musician before I became a comic and you can't talk about nostalgia without discussing music. So among the stand-up segments I also intersperse my original and cover songs, play guitar and sing.
Who would you like to come and see your show?
If you are annoyed by all the reboots and remakes on TV but can't help but watch every single episode of the new 'Sex And The City' - this is the show for you. When it comes to age, I go by the iPod rule. If you are old enough to have owned an original iPod (RIP) you are old enough for this show.
What would you like audiences to take away from the show?
Apart from a bag full of merch and a strong desire to follow me on social media? Well, I think at its heart, SentiMENTAL is about self-reflection. Were your good old days really that good or have your memories been edited with time? Why do you still watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. when you could spend that time with your actual friends? Historically, nostalgia was considered a disease - now it's our comfort. There's something in that. Maybe even an entire show!
Photo credit: Joel Devereux
Sponsored content
Comments
Videos