For many performers, the Fringe offers a chance to launch their career on the international stage. An example of the latter is the Australian comedian Greg Fleet, who alongside the musician Mick Moriarty, brings a show called Fleetwood Mick to The Gilded Balloon this month.
Amongst those in the know, The Fleetster, as he is never called, is regarded as one of the best comics in the world ever. That said, The Fleet-o has rarely done anything to justify his reputation to the public at large, having spent vast proportions of his adult life asleep in ditches, staring at plastic forks, or wandering off in the wrong direction towards a distant shining object only he was able to discern.
The Fleetorama could have come here to the Fringe with a greatest hits set of all the best routines of his twenty-five year career, underscored by Moriarty’s sensitive accompaniament, and reminded the world at large of why he is so highly regarded amongst his fellow comics. But he has chosen a different path. The opening five minutes of the new show was a mercurial display of The Fleetomat’s amazing stand-up skills, moving in seconds from high-octane whimsy to scathing political satire to deeply personal confessions in a way no other comic can. Then, a thousand flies are released from a jar, and for the following fifty minutes, Greg Fleet attempts to dance with them.
The flies, unaware of their role in the proceedings, buzz idly around the room, while the Fleetmeister, increasingly desperate, tries to coax them back to the stage with a brief bolero, some ballet moves, and a selection of interpretive dance poses. Needless to say, only someone interested in seeing a man with no dance training trying to dance with flies could truly enjoy this deviant event.
After the show we met in a private bar at the Gilded Balloon so exclusive that it is only rumoured to exist. Greg left agreeing to alter the stand-up/fly-dancing ratio in favour of the former. The fly dancing, he conceeded, is for next year, when everyone has finally recognised his genius.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter