Seymour Mace: Happypotamus

Domestic anarchy, professional exasperation and psychological burn-out left Seymour Mace in a desperate place last year.

This year, he's back to tell the tale. Taking the raw experience of clinical depression and crafting subtle, well-balanced and occasionally moving observations into a satisfying hour of comedy can't be the easiest of Fringe tasks. The down-pressing threat of Mace's anxieties about mental health can be felt throughout the set. With Happypotamus, Mace is able to weave tales of near-death, prescription drugs and kitchen sponges together with more unexpected detours into surrealist art and solo dance routines.

Mace is a warm and involved speaker, detailing acutely painful instances in humane, dignified terms. The pattern of the show allows for oscillation between delightfully disordered sections on The Apprentice and trance-like musical refrains. Inevitably, the black dog of depression is never quite fenced off, but the forward-flowing energy of the performance reinforces a sense that joy and affirmation can have the upper hand. Exhibiting a pleasing fusion of seriousness and childishness, Mace is to be commended for tackling his demons without recourse to cheap optimism or an easily digested moral message.