Live Performance Review: Tony Benn: Will and Testament  (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Tuesday 21.08.2012 12:00, The Music Hall, Assembly Rooms (Unreserved Seating), Edinburgh 

I was quite curious about Tony Benn due to the esteem he appears to be held in by by others whom I have time for. The 'show' began with the screening of a 1/2 Hour extract from a documentary being made about him. The documentary being called 'Will and Testament', which we are informed it is hoped will be released by late this year or early next. The documentary does look as though it may be worth seeing.

This was followed by a Q&A session hosted by Mark Thomas. Mark was assisting to gather questions together into cluster to put to Tony. What I was surprised at was that Tony did not answer the questions put to him, though did the classic politician thing of being slippery, using the question raised to announce what he wished to be heard to say on the topic. This suggests listening only to the degree of being able to identify where he could impart particular responses without their appearing out of place. I also felt that there was a bit to much of referring back to answers that he gave in the film, or repeating what we have already heard in the film, which suggests to me someone who is either struggling or disinterested.

I was not impressed and expected a greater sense of honesty in responses and for these responses to appear more convincingly to be in response to the questions raised. It felt to be a performance, with all inferences that carries. Though I must also state that I would have been disinterested, if I was being spoken with, with the degree of sycophancy that was being displayed by several of the question askers.

Rating: 05/10.