A sunny Saturday saw the second day of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe kick off with great success. I saw many great things from Maple Staplegun’s Hula Hoop Show to fierce and fiery street acts with real flames.
I left with a book’s worth of leaflets for shows I can’t wait to see. One show I did manage to catch caught me off guard, in the best way possible. Am I jumping the gun by declaring it the best show before seeing any of the other Fringe performances? Possibly. But do I stand by my judgement of it being the best? Absolutely!
A kind of show I’d never seen before
At the heart of Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh, I explored the Festival Fringe. Waiting for a friend, I read some advert on the box office wall that caught my eye. Little did I know that my friend had just booked us in to the best show I had ever seen.
Late to the Party: the ADHD Hour was a rollercoaster of entertainment that took the form of singing, stories, and jokes with their song Spicy Brain being a prominent musical number. Not a moment on that stage was wasted as my attention was glued to the performers and my applause was loud and hard. Everything from the tunes to the inflatable palm tree to the infamous big light was captivating and exciting. The artists clearly loved their act, loved their audience and loved being in Edinburgh. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m certain that they would all agree with me when I say we loved them, too.
A deep connection
But moving away from the songs and humour, the show also struck a serious tone. Serious, but not in a way that was upsetting. Everything they said resonated, every single thing. Listening to that show was like listening to my life – my life told through music and dancing. And I connected, deeply and personally. Although I’m not yet officially diagnosed ADHD, I feel like my mind is a constant battleground, a mind on fire. My brain like in their words: a ‘spicy brain’.
In the show, many ‘guests’ came to the party. Memory, creativity, and food to name a few. The best was saved for last: the superpowers. The superpowers of empathy and hyperfocus to name a couple.
All of these ADHD traits were addressed through fun songs and well-done comedy while also highlighting their seriousness and reaching out to the audience in a way that made us laugh but also feel acknowledged and appreciated.
Recognition
It was a show that gave a recognition something much of society fails to give. It was very heartening to receive that acknowledgement and make such a connection with the two performers.
Late to the Party: the ADHD Hour is a must-see event at the Fringe. The show flew by as if no time at all had passed. It was a fun and bouncy experience which touched on vital issues and made deep and meaningful connections. I would strongly recommend this show to anyone who is neurodiverse, knows someone who is, or neither as it is a fantastic show for all!
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