Weddings are a useful topic when it comes to comedy. Weddings are expensive, filled with people who are either drunk or emotionally vulnerable (or both), and tend to gather together a collection of folk who don’t really hang out. Absolutely perfect ground for both comedy and tragedy. But mostly comedy, because weddings are supposed to be happy events.
Mark Vigeant’s The Best Man Show is a comedic one-man show about an older brother who has been asked to deliver a speech at his brother’s wedding. We open with Mark’s character, Paul, talking loudly on the phone and setting the scene. We, the audience, have been to an unconventional wedding; it was a polyamorous, Lord of the Rings-themed affair with crystals and elvish, apparently. Paul is drunk and has a speech prepared. And he’s totally going to go over his allotted five minutes. Things will not go well for Paul, and we are here to laugh at his misfortune.
This is a fun idea for a comedy show; Vigeant wheels about the stage, sloshing his can of (obviously water) whilst interacting with the audience. Various folk at the show are recruited to be in the wedding party, and this is mostly done by sticking hats on someone and giving them a simple line or task. There is one extended scene about Paul’s daughter and wife, which uses volunteers from the crowd and is all too real in terms of embarrassment, however. This makes it incredibly funny. It’s solid crowd work, and very well done.
As a showcase for Mark Vigeant’s talents, this is excellent, and we will be seeking out their stand-up and keeping an eye on what they do next.
The Best Man Show works because it feels relatable, and then Vigeant kicks it up a notch into absurdity. Vigeant is incredibly good at reading the crowd, and even though you can see much of the humour coming a mile off, you can’t look away and end up laughing even harder. Hilarious, chaotic and utterly enthralling; go see if you can.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about Mark Vigeant here.
