Ross Sutherland: The Three Stigmata of Pacman

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A distinct lack of hype means too many will miss out on affable music journalist and Fringe first-timer Ross Sutherland’s remarkable offering. The Three Stigmata of Pacman, a quirky mix of comedy, multimedia slides and poetry, puts many more experienced acts to shame with its experimental nature and comic impact.

The show is loosely based around Sutherland’s experience of losing his dispiriting job churning out repetitive music reviews for Metro. Humiliated and disillusioned, he’s forced to move home with his parents and tries to reassess his life, finding a certain 80s computer game to be the best reference point. He describes this existential funk with a series of well-made video vignettes and surreal poems, all of which blend easily with the comic routine and display a keen intelligence. Any performer that manages to pull off a ten-minute beat poetry section on the spiritual ramifications of Pacman and dive seamlessly back into standup comedy clearly has something going for them.

The only criticism that can be levelled at Sutherland is that he might have taken on too much in his first attempt. An abundance of ideas seem crammed into the hour-long set, a few of which could be trimmed in length or delivered with more finesse. Still, this is a highly impressive festival debut.

To borrow an oft-repeated phrase (around a half a dozen times in 2007) from Sutherland’s reviewing days: “this act will go on to tear up the charts.” Let’s hope he actually does this time.