There’s a generous amount of pragmatism in this comedy hour that stops Hal Cruttenden from coming across as a middle-aged moaner who ought to just get on with life. I liked the audience interactions – as ever with standup, sit in the front row at one’s own risk, even if one guy at the performance I attended, who has been in a stable marriage for decades, was slightly over-included (I hesitate to use the term ‘picked on’, as Cruttenden is not one of those aggressive standups, preferring niceness and civility, a point he talks about and amplifies in this show) in proceedings.
Still, the title of the show, unlike some comedy hours that have to call their show something or other to meet Edinburgh Fringe marketing and copy deadlines, is very apt. You would be forgiven for wondering if Cruttenden is ever going to get over his divorce – he is, I hasten to add, trying, and has dated various women. There are, as one might expect, vivid descriptions of those dates, as well as recollections of conversations with his children about life after their mother had walked away.
But while a considerable number of comedians talk in terms of events happening ‘the other day’, a period of time that needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, Cruttenden’s divorce took place four years ago, and it is still the main topic of his comedy routine. Why can’t he let it go and be one with the wind and sky and all that? On the other hand, there’s no point reinventing the wheel if there’s still plenty of comedy material to be mined over the breakup. And he has some good points to make – I liked one about chart music songs on the subject of breakups. Songs by women are about survival, defiance and picking oneself up and carrying on. Songs by men are best summarised by James Blunt’s ‘Goodbye My Lover’.
As someone who has never been divorced (because you can’t get divorced if you never got married in the first place), on paper, I ought to have been a bit alienated by this show, unable to relate to its content. It’s a testament to Cruttenden’s ability to spin a good yarn that I had a good laugh regardless.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Hal may be alone but he’s not lonely. He’s found, much to his (and his ex-wife’s) surprise, that some women still find him attractive. He’s dating again and, although nearly 25 years have passed since he was last ‘on the scene’, he can be just as neurotic, immature, thoughtfulness and naïve as he was in his in his twenties. There’s even more passion in his life now than there was back then, but it’s all done with the lights off, as our bodies aren’t what they were.
HAL CRUTTENDEN: CAN DISH IT OUT BUT CAN’T TAKE IT
Pleasance Courtyard at the Edinburgh Fringe
30 July to 24 August 2025
