I can't figure out the mechanics of the magic trick I saw this evening, so there's no way of explaining it properly in a review. Categorising this act as ‘comedy' is a bit of a joke, albeit a very serious one. Hughes disarms you by appearing to be a bland but charming Welsh stand-up.
Then the show gradually becomes a mesmerising story about his childhood friendship with ‘Gareth'. If this seems trite, the joke's on you, as beneath the surface something extraordinary is happening: impossibly subtle states of mind are being expressed. I've never seen anything like this before, and as soon as I've recovered I'm going straight back. I'd love to tell you more: I just don't know how.
TW RATING: 5/5
WINNER of a Three Weeks Editors' Award
This guy is a real success story of the Edinburgh Fringe. Having won much acclaim for his show 'Floating' in 2005, he's subsequently toured the world with that show and another Fringe hit, 'Story Of A Rabbit'. But despite those successes, he's not rested on his laurels, and this year he treated us to another new show, and another 5/5 one at that. Sitting somewhere between theatre and comedy, '360' was one of our favourite shows this year, so now seems as good a time as any to give an ThreeWeeks award to Mr Hugh Hughes.