Subtitled ‘The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals Ever Written’, Arthur Hull dons sweatbands and kicks off his Fringe debut with a frenetic gym-set opener from the musical bomb that was Carrie: turns out Hull is quite the mover. There’s nothing he can do about a steeply raked lecture theatre ill-suited to the intimate cabaret vibe of his show, but via hilariously ick-inducing lyrics from Grease 2 and cracking numbers from Moby Dick and Love Never Dies that fully showcase his emotive voice, Hull gives it his all. Cats may not have been a flop on stage but gets a deserved kicking for its turd of a film adaptation, while a medley from Diana: The Musical raises some of the night’s biggest laughs. 

There’s a brilliantly gymnastic intro (young Arthur is circus trained) to a haunting track from Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Broadway’s biggest ever commercial stinker. And by young, we’re talking 20 years old, an age almost impossible to compute with the stage presence, piano skills and vocal maturity this guy possesses: no surprise he scooped the Emerging Artist Award at this year’s Adelaide Fringe. Like his music hero Tim Minchin, the future could be very bright indeed for Arthur Hull.

Arthur Hull’s Flop, Gilded Balloon Appleton Tower, until 24 August, 8.45pm; main picture: Jasper Wood.