Chris Cantrill: Rewilding comedy review – Infectious joy
The SNL UK writer's enthusiastic performance and impeccable comic timing make this enormous fun from start to finish
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‘I am overexcited,’ proclaims Chris Cantrill at the very start of Rewilding. It’s impossible to imagine him any other way. With his playful, expressive face and wonderfully ebullient voice, the comedian (and, as he cheekily alludes to at numerous points, Saturday Night Live UK writer) remains one of the Fringe’s most dependable entertainers. Cantrill is back in Edinburgh after a year off and he claims to be thoroughly enjoying his life in the quaint Northumberland village that he’s called home for six years. He paints a mischievous picture of the various characters that waft in and out of his day-to-day and he fills his stories with unexpected twists.
He hangs the show around the history of a 200-year-old oak tree that has served as a sort of hub for the locale but, really, it’s an excuse for Cantrill to depict his awkward interactions with local folk in excruciating detail. Throughout the hour, Cantrill peppers in delightful flourishes. He’s a phenomenal gag writer and performer, ensuring that every precise line is brought vividly to life. Driven by a fully-deserved confidence, his infectious joy proves that being ‘overexcited’ is a wonderful way to be.
Chris Cantrill: Rewilding, Monkey Barrel Tron, until 29 August, 12.10pm.