one4review | On 13, Aug 2015

Matt Price tells stories. He tells stories that you want to listen to and to hear the end of. He has all the technical things you’d expect: a lovely rapport with the audience, good pace, rhythm, a wide and appropriate vocabulary, excellent structure and plot, and he’s articulate and personable and friendly. The overall effect of all that is definitely greater than a list of its parts: it’s so much better than ‘a man telling stories’ sounds. So I don’t understand why he isn’t better known.

Unless it’s for the intimacy of the venues: anywhere bigger and he wouldn’t be able to show everyone in the audience the scar on his hand, or say hello to them individually as they come in the door. There probably wouldn’t be the same campfire atmosphere. He couldn’t amble round the room to collect a forgotten pint at the same time as telling a story.

The show itself is a collection of stories, meandering and intersecting and self-referential, all ending up in the same place in the end, with the loose ends woven invisibly into to the fabric. They’re extracts and snippets from Matt’s own life, just enough details to paint the picture, but also leaving enough out to make you want to know more. It’s an enjoyable and entertaining hour, and I’ll definitely be back next year.

Reviewed by Laura