Nerd Alert!
Dylan Gott is full of beans. He’ll tell you so himself. But his story involves nudity, a basement apartment, and a hungry cat.
Dylan Gott: Medicine Woman is a 50-minute stand-up set at the Tarragon Solo Space at Toronto Fringe Festival. Dylan covers a range of topics including Bible Camp, his predilection for video games and UFC, anger management class, and losing his virginity at 23.
The word “creepy” makes it into the bulk of his jokes and indeed makes up the bulk of his schtick. Imagine The Family Guy’s Peter Griffin with a Bela Lugosi stare. Dylan Gott makes no apologies.
I am not a video gamer. I was not a nerdy boy. I am not interested in UFC and have no knowledge of UFC personalities.
What I could relate to were homemade VHS tapes and the storyline of 90s sitcoms as a vehicle for imparting relationship advice. Among my favourite jokes was Dylan piecing together the events of a drunken night through call logs and ATM chits.
Opening night of Dylan Gott: Medicine Woman had a sparse but generous audience of friends and family and a peppering of strangers. The times I could not relate to the jokes I spent listening to the crowd.
The row of young gentlemen behind me chuckled throughout. Dylan’s family, directly to my left, laughed loudest at the childhood memories. A young woman in the front cackled at the jokes about Dylan’s appeal (or lack thereof) to women.
Dylan’s is an austere set befitting a stand-up comedian: one microphone, one stool. I thought it strange at first that he would address a crowd in such a small space with a microphone. It was hardly noticeable once he began.
There was never a lull in audience appreciation and when Dylan thanked us for coming out, I was surprised at how quickly the time had passed.
A sucker for stories and story telling, I would love to see Dylan transform this stand-up set into a full-length solo show.
Details
- Dylan Gott: Medicine Woman plays at Tarragon Solo Room (30 Bridgman Ave.)
- Showtimes are Sun July 08 04:30 PM , Mon July 09 09:15 PM , Tues July 10 05:00 PM , Wed July 11 08:15 PM , Thurs July 12 04:30 PM, Sat July 14 02:45 PM , Sun July 15 04:00 PM
- All individual Fringe tickets are $10 at the door (cash only). Tickets are also available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at 416-966-1062, or in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 – $9+$2 service charge)
- Value packs are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows