Theatre review: Will Gompertz: Double Art History – The Sequel, Underbelly - Bristo Square, Edinburgh

The BBC arts editor  Will Gompertz was in the midst of a meandering discourse on a Chicago art professor’s exhibition stunt when someone shouted from the back “we want the knob gag”.

Will Gompertz. Picture: Contributed

Will Gompertz: Double Art History – The Sequel, Underbelly - Bristo Square, Edinburgh * * *

Plant or not, it was a welcome interruption . Gompertz came laden with eccentrically gentle charm, but was oddly tentative in his opening show. It was nice to see him in the flesh, but what exactly was he trying to tell us?

Ten years ago, Gompertz trialled an Edinburgh run after some stand-up training, just before the Beeb announced his signing from the Tate. Double Art History is a reprise, ranging from Turner to Tracey, with a passing nod to the new surge of interest in women artists, and an exam at the end.

There were a lot of isms, but not much in the way of a thesis. He proposed that Monet lifted his sunrise from Turner’s sunset, invited giggling guests on stage to act out a mysterious shopping expedition in New York, and very effectively ripped up a box. I only got 70 percent, and I still have no idea what an exquisite corpse is.

Until 25 August.

Tim Cornwell

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