Review: Aidan Goatley: 10 Films With My Dad – The Voodoo Room, Edinburgh
A feel good story about masculinity, film geeks and dog thespians.
Now a book of the same name, Aidan Goatley’s exploration of how film can facilitate and develop relationships returns to the Fringe for its third year.
10 Films with My Dad examines how his generation has influenced conventions of masculinity.
Goatley’s dad, born during WWII, is a “man’s man” with a pathological interest in engineering, whereas Aidan himself was born in the 1970s and has a strong interest in the creative arts.
His father’s quest to establish Aidan’s masculinity, by forcing him to watch John Wayne films during his childhood, wasn’t entirely successful, as demonstrated in the point in the show when Goatley came out as heterosexual.
Making good use of photography to tell the story, Goatley also shows footage of self-produced recreations of film scenes. A special mention to Kimble the dog, who plays Bruce with considerable panache.
But Goatley transcends 80s nostalgia film criticism with gentle audience interaction; the heart of this tale centres on Goatley’s quest to make his pedantic father proud of him.
This is a wonderful hour of feel-good storytelling from a charming host.
Date of live review: Saturday 17 August 2013
10 Films with My Dad runs as part of PBH’s Free Fringe at The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh until 25 August. Goatley also appears at the Voodoo Rooms in Aidan Goatley is on the Mend until 25 August.
