David Trent: Here's Your Future

• Brian Donaldson
• 8 August 2017

This article is from 2017.

Credit: Idil Sukan

A volley of mad imagery and off-colour personal material

The bucket speech is one of the more awkward Fringe rituals with its intensity now cranked up in the Pay What You Want scenario given that some people have already paid to be there, others haven't: who's going to lie at the door straight to the act's face? It's quite the nightmare. This brings more pressure upon the performer to make their BS an event in itself.

David Trent has put quite a bit of effort into his, and he has the technology to wield it successfully and amusingly. This family-based finale is one of several psychologically destabilising moments in a fine set which pretty much says, 'technology is great, right, but look what some people have done with it now?' And what some people have done is create extremely weird kids animations and smart mattresses that might be able to let you know if your partner has been unfaithful. Meanwhile, Trent is wondering whether the introduction and spread of International Hummus Day is a bright new dawn or the end of civilisation.

In what David Trent has justifiably described as an 'unrelenting multimedia rampage', his show manages to make us point and laugh at stupid Nazis while wondering if we might all be on the road to hell in a three-wheeled handcart.

Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug (not 14), 10.35pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.