A
new one man show by Richard Herring
Jesus
Christ - Son of God, Saviour of Mankind, Miracle Worker, Superstar.
Richard
Herring - short, fat, middle class man from Cheddar in Somerset. Used
to be on TV (BBC 2's Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard
Not Judy), but isn't anymore.
At
first sight they have little in common. Or do they?
"I'm
not saying I'm the new Jesus.... That is for other people to say."
This
year Richard realised that he was the same age as Jesus when he died.
(Surely, this can't just be coincidence). But has he achieved as much
as the supposed Messiah? Some would argue not. But one man dares argue
otherwise. The fact that that man is Herring himself should not be
allowed to cloud the issue.
Deluded?
Insane? Arrogant? A blasphemer liable to inflame a holy war? They
said the same about Jesus... And David Icke.... And Charlie Manson....
And Hitler... And the bloke who sits on the top step at Balham tube
station drinking lighter fluid... That's not the point. The point
is that they said the same about Jesus. If you have ears, you will
understand.
"I
intend to find out who Jesus really was, how he would feel about the
terrors that have been carried out in his name and, most importantly,
to determine if he ever actually did walk like a lady and wear a bra"
During
the hour Herring will attempt to recreate (and top) some of Jesus's
most famous miracles, including turning water into wine, casting out
demons, curing a range of maladies (this may cost extra) and feeding
the entire audience with one deep fried Mars Bar. (though hundreds
may turn up, no-one will leave wanting to eat any more).
"It
is said that faith moves mountains. Using the combined faith of all
the people who come to my show, by the end of August I promise to
have moved Arthur's Seat to Dunfermline."
This
is Herring's tenth coming to Edinburgh ("Lo, for I have been crucified
many times, but see I do walk amongst you once again") and Christ
on a Bike will be the eighteenth show Herring has written and performed
at the Fringe. As always his child-like sense of fun is tempered with
a scholarly and darkly philosophical undercurrent.
Special
Offer to Journalists - If you recognise me as the new Messiah and
more importantly give me a good review or some nice pre-publicity,
then you will have a guaranteed place for you and the partner of your
choice in my father's house. He's got a very nice bungalow in Cheddar.