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.
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter