Adam Riches: Adam of the Riches @ Pleasance Dome

Savvy Fringe-goers know all about the joys of sitting in the front row – some will queue just that little bit longer in the hope of being one of the chosen few. But be warned: unless you’re prepared to get involved at a whole new level of intimacy then stay well away. If you are one of the brave then don’t worry about being ridiculed for something as simple as an ill chosen T-shirt, that would be far too easy for Riches; he cares too much about the audience for that and therein lies the danger. Before you realise it you’re sucked into a bizarre world that’s not for the faint of heart.

In a ripsnorting opener we’re introduced to one of the UK’s best loved actors in entirely familiar surroundings, if the laughter isn’t surprising then fighting back tears for dying stage furniture is. Riches considerable skill lies in his ability to change from one utterly believable character to another in the blink of an eye. They’re mostly from the ‘run away screaming’ pool but the most terrifying of all is easily Riches himself. If the finale just failed to round off the perfect hour it was only due to the brilliance of what had gone before. Up to that point anything you imagined would happen paled into insignificance compared to the reality before you – this wasn’t quite the case in a nevertheless disturbing ending.

It’s another must see show from someone making a habit of such things.