Live Performance Review: Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro! (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) Sunday 05.08.2012 13:30 Traverse Theatre, Traverse One (Unreserved Seating), Edinburgh 

If my memory serves me correctly this is now the ninth time I have seen Mark Thomas perform, first back in the summer of 1996. When the festival programmes for Edinburgh get released each year, Mark is always one of the first I look for, this year I did not see him and thought he must being taking the year off from the Edinburgh Festivals. A couple of weeks back, I noticed him listed under theatre, rather than the expected comedy sections.

He is by some distance my favorite comedian, who I also view as being so much more than that. This was the most personal performance I have seen by him. It is centred around the character of his father, who sounds to have been a firebrand, though who is now severely physically debilitated due to a progressive condition he has.

Of particular note to me, was that the performance spoke of the father's love of opera, and how Mark gave him a gift that was centred on this love. He recounted how his father through concentration managed to battle  with his debilitating physical condition to engage with this gift.

There is something I find very emotionally moving about tales to do with the affecting power of music, and how it can allow people moments of clarity during physically or emotionally difficult/compromised times.

I have found myself emotionally moved by Mark's performances in the past, though this was something more. By the end I had not mealy shed a tear, though was in tears; that in my mind should not happen in response to a 'comedy' performance. I have never seen him do a compromised performance, and he still does not disappoint. It feels difficult to wax lyrical about his performances as to me his brilliance has been obvious for so many years. This was not the most politically revolatory, which I often expect of Mark, though was a uniquely affecting performance.

Rating: 10/10.