Review: Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 – Christopher Hall: Girl For All Seasons
Review by Annie Aslett Gilded Balloon at the Museum: Tickets ★★★★★ While Chris Hall boasts impressive numbers on TikTok, he is never more entertaining than live on stage, returning to the Fringe this year with his fabulous new…
While Chris Hall boasts impressive numbers on TikTok, he is never more entertaining than live on stage, returning to the Fringe this year with his fabulous new show Girl For All Seasons. Hall has a few years of stand-up under his (cow print) belt and is so at home in front of a crowd that you can't help but sit back and relax as this experienced performer talks all things dating, family and the struggles of growing up gay. His nod to structure "for the reviewers" ironically feels like the thinnest part of the show – I couldn't care less, though; I'm having too much fun.
Hall is a charismatic ball of energy; his casual yet confident delivery makes you feel as if he's gossiping with friends. I spent the first half trying to pinpoint what Hall's charm boils down to – why am I smiling like a loon throughout (apart from the well-written jokes)? The closest I've come to pinning it down is one of his "core values" (his concession to structure): authenticity. Hall wears his set like a second skin, completely uninhibited and himself on stage; his enthusiasm is completely infectious.
Hall's style is characterized by hilariously idiosyncratic turns of phrase and physicality that belies his dance training – dramatic but never overplayed. Well-used to the specific theatre etiquette seemingly practised only by Edinburgh Fringe audiences (arriving and leaving whenever they please), Hall has mastered using this to his advantage with dry wit and sarcasm. Hall's star is growing fast, both online and off – if you didn't catch Girl For All Seasons at the festival, Hall is bringing this delightful show around the UK and Ireland this autumn.
Annie is a not-so-recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh with a degree in French and Spanish, along with a Masters in Translation from the University of Glasgow. A Spanish teacher for three years, she decided to leave the classroom behind to pursue personal goals and has since been regularly reviewing for Corr Blimey's Glaswegian wing. Annie is a life-long lover of musical theatre, whose childhood performances included a rousing production of Snow White in The Hall and a heartfelt rendition of Go, Go, Go Joseph in The Living Room.
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