Daniel Kitson (from 6th March) 2023

[SteveDave]

Me and my drunk wife are going on Monday. Third row.

[cakeinmilk]

Kind of Kitson related - a game called Guess You linked in this weeks' b3ta

Seems to be a reference to the forum post here..

[Tiggles]

Part of me wonders if Kitson read that thread and wrote his fringe thing off the back of it.

[iamcoop]

He definitely does read the threads on here. He emailed me once when I moaned about the lack of an interval in one of his story shows (and was very nice iirc).

[Red82]

I like him.  Invented the word Smidge.

[SteveDave]

Lamentably, I and my drunk wife can no longer attend the show tonight so have two tickets available for free. PM/DM for the details...

[neveragain]

He definitely does read the threads on here. He emailed me once when I moaned about the lack of an interval in one of his story shows (and was very nice iirc).

He messaged me as well, when I complained about the lack of an interval! Thankfully he explained that I was wrong to do so. (Hi DK!)

[Pink Gregory]

Did anyone else watch the show?  What did you think?

Was quite interesting to see him without an audience.  Listened to rather than watched most of it because he wouldn't stay still and it was distracting.  Seemed like a very stripped back approach compared to what else I've seen of his.  Liked it, not mind blowing but a good story well told.

[itf]

Did anyone else watch the show?  What did you think?

Was quite interesting to see him without an audience.  Listened to rather than watched most of it because he wouldn't stay still and it was distracting.  Seemed like a very stripped back approach compared to what else I've seen of his.  Liked it, not mind blowing but a good story well told.

Any time spent on his stuff isn't wasted but I do wonder if I'd have enjoyed it more if I hadn't already heard the Christmas show which has a similar premise.

[Tiggles]

I saw it at the Globe last year and really enjoyed it as an experience, but I agree that while it is a good story (and he's a great story-teller) it is similar to A Story For Christmas on quite a few levels.

I was curious to see if he'd changed it much so watched the live stream. If he had changed anything, it wasn't in any significant way that I noticed.

And I also found it visually distracting, and not just with his movement - put the man on a comfy chair, not a stool, for telling us a story! The changing camera angles didn't enhance my experience but I see what he was trying to do, and Kitson trying stuff out to see what happens is what he does and why I am always curious about what he's making. As you say, any time spent with Kitson's stuff is never time badly spent.

[cakeinmilk]

I thought it was great, stripped back very much like the pandemic Dot. Dot. Dot
shows.

Story-wise it was pretty identical to last years' show besides some minor rephrasings. Like he'd done a second pass over the text.

[madhair60]

what is it that makes Daniel Kitson special? I would like to see him but I am unsure what to expect

[MrMealDeal]

A bit late in the day but I have a ticket for tonight's show that I can't use. DM me and I'll send you the ticket pdf. Starts at 9.30.

[Tiggles]

what is it that makes Daniel Kitson special? I would like to see him but I am unsure what to expect

Neither am I, a lot of the time, which is why I've followed his work for the best part of twenty years!

That's not that helpful. As a rule of thumb, your best intro to him is going to see him MC a mixed bill or do wip/ meanderings (if you can get tickets - often next to impossible). But he does storytelling, experimental theatre, plays, and nowadays not that much straightforward standup. He has traditionally done observational comedy about emotions, I guess.

I do expect him to be considered, thoughtful, smart and that I'll laugh. He has made me cry as well, the bastard. 

[madhair60]

A bit late in the day but I have a ticket for tonight's show that I can't use. DM me and I'll send you the ticket pdf. Starts at 9.30.

very kind but I can't travel atm, thank you

[itf]

what is it that makes Daniel Kitson special? I would like to see him but I am unsure what to expect

I first saw him as a compere and he blew everyone else off the stage with crowd work alone. I think what makes him stand out that not only is he an exceptional stand up, but that he can produce the kind of theatrical shows is what makes him realy interesting / unique. As I said up-thread, I've never felt like time spent with his material was wasted, either straight stand-up or the stories.

I saw Peter Kay (for free, thankfully) the other week dispensing the laziest most hackneyed shite to an arena crowd - remembering DK had worked with him was slightly like discovering Bob Dylan had previously done some session work for Doop or something. 

[MrMealDeal]

remembering DK had worked with him was slightly like discovering Bob Dylan had previously done some session work for Doop or something. 

Doop is such a left-field choice. Complete shit, of course, but shit I haven't thought about for 30 years. What brought them to mind?

[Mobbd]

[itf]

Doop is such a left-field choice. Complete shit, of course, but shit I haven't thought about for 30 years. What brought them to mind?

Just the least probable act with the least credibility.

[CaledonianGonzo]

what is it that makes Daniel Kitson special? I would like to see him but I am unsure what to expect

Three of his storytelling shows are available to stream (rent) here:

https://vimeo.com/danielkitson/vod_pages

It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later is probably the pick of the 3 - though as noted his storytelling is different to his pure stand-up is different to when he's just mucking about onstage, so ymmv as to which you prefer. All are clearly the work of the same guy though so not *that* different.

[madhair60]

Thanks all for the responses. That wasn't meant to be a challenge just a genuine curiosity as I've seen so much enthusiasm for the guy but never a second of his work.

[Tiggles]

Thanks all for the responses. That wasn't meant to be a challenge just a genuine curiosity as I've seen so much enthusiasm for the guy but never a second of his work.

Don't worry, I didn't see it as a challenge. I find it difficult to explain why I hold someone whose work I've found frustrating at times in such high regard.

I recommended to a US based friend last year that she started with his audio stuff on his Bandcamp, which is all over a decade old. It's all fab (including the very early, free stuff) but for me his best shows on there are Fireworks/ Impotent Fury/ Gathered Here/ After the Beginning. Anyway, despite it being old, it gives you a sense of where he is coming from. My friend came over to the fringe this year and loved the Kitson thing she participated in, and fully recognised him in it.

If you are interested in catching him live, it's best to sign up to his mailing list - he tends to keep his tickets very cheap.

[holyzombiejesus]

I might be being thick, (after all I put my drink on the stage), but

Spoiler alert

what was written on the back of the photo

[close]

?

Was it

Spoiler alert

I Am Here

[close]

?

[Tiggles]

I might be being thick, (after all I put my drink on the stage), but

Spoiler alert

what was written on the back of the photo

[close]

?

Was it

Spoiler alert

I Am Here

[close]

?

This perplexed me at the time, but I think @cakeinmilk has the right interpretation:

The end line is a callback to about midway through, I think - not necessarily meant to get what the

Spoiler alert

words

[close]

were, just the intention:

Spoiler alert

"If ghosts were real they'd have better things to do than hiding your keys or fannying about with the thermostat and it was convenient," he said "very convenient that messages from the beyond were always so difficult to decipher rather than being written out clearly in big red block capitals double-underlined because the truth," he said, "is that there is no beyond but we are all haunted - not by ghosts - but by ourselves, the things we've done, and the people we've lost."

[close]

[CaledonianGonzo]

I'd call it a payoff rather than a callback to that moment - but it's deliberately ambiguous as to what's written and who or what wrote them.

[IsavedLatin]

I might be being thick, (after all I put my drink on the stage)

That was you?! Well done, you delivered my favourite bit of business of the evening!

[Tiggles]

Email! A few technical seats now released for Bristol performances this week:

https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/collaborator-a-work-in-progress-by-daniel-kitson/

V much looking forward to this. It was a lot of fun in Edinburgh.

[Tiggles]

I'm happy to say, on this secret internet forum, that I love this show (now called Collaborator) very much. It is clever, slippery, and extremely fun. Took a friend for their first time tonight and, yep, hooked.

I'd definitely do it all over again, too.

[lestergunn]

Was there tonight, sat next to Keith. A fantastic show, really enjoyable and pulled me out of a mental health blip. KanielDitson's great.   

[Tiggles]

Keith was great! Icily undermining. Perfect.