A Brief History of Petty Crime – buckle up for safety

This was the fourth fast-paced one-man show I have seen in this Fringe run. I'm not sure why Fringe performers like to stand on stage and talk about themselves incessantly.  I'm also not quite sure why they believe they can ask a bunch of strangers to pay for it at 10 bucks a pop.  At least some of them do it well.

A Brief History of Petty Crime - actually not so brief in a full hour comprised of both scripted and improvised lines - worked because Jimmy Hogg was an engaging actor who oozed self-confidence, charm, and an impish sense of fun.  He also demonstrated superb physicality. My favourite example was his portrayal of a deer, a skill for which he received classical training. Or so he said.  You see, Jimmy Hogg said all kinds of thing - I could hardly keep track.  Some of it was related to a story about a couple of petty crimes from his youth in Britain. Some were ad-lib tangents, when Hogg bantered with a responsive audience.  This banter was interjected at frequent intervals throughout the story, and showed Hogg's amazing ability to stop and start, to stray and then find his way back.  Impressive, but it was a pacing that disturbed the ebb and flow of the story and detracted from the overall impact.

It seemed like Hogg has not yet decided which he is: a stand-up comedian or a scripted storyteller.  This performance showed that he can be both, but the real highlights were the witty and entertaining digressions.  I would have liked to see Hogg lose the script.
 
A Brief History of Petty Crime was produced by The Roodie Pancake Experiment, United Kingdom.  Written and performed by Jimmy Hogg. Directed by Peter J. Morey.

For more information and a chance to debate this show please go here.