Yianni: Numb and Number

With possibly the greatest Fringe trailer of the year and excellent DIY origami fortune-tellers posing as flyers, it's evident that Yianni has put in a lot of time and effort into preparations for Numb and Number. How could any show possibly live up to such hype?

Thankfully, it's pretty terrific.

 
Straight off the bat we're introduced to an enthusiastic and confident performer who looks so at ease onstage that it's difficult not to feel the same. The show is centred around Yianni's love of numbers and the fact that he was diagnosed with mild autism at the beginning of the year. This isn't so much a heartbreaking tale of a labelled man, as a lighthearted look at what makes us human.

 
There are presentation slides to accompany Yianni's countdown of numbers 10-0 as he explains what each one means to him. Each meaning is very nicely contemplative and typically quite deep, showing Yianni to be thoughtful as well as charming and intelligent. Then there's the relatively in-depth look at toilet habits. Don't let that put you off, though.

This is everything that a good show should be and it's part of the Free Fringe, which makes it even more appealing.