On the 1st February 2004, poet, musician and comedian Ivor Cutler appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the ripe old age of 81, in what would be his final appearance before retiring. This film is the record of that show and see Cutler delivering his writing and musical creations in his own unique style in front of an audience that have been asked to refrain from eating noisy sweeties and, when they must applaud, to do so at 50% of their normal volume.
To the uninitiated, this 30 minute highlight of Cutler's last show will be a bewildering and engaging experience that will see you either won over by him, totally missing the point or, more likely, a mixture of both bewildered in a good way but hooked on every word. To describe him the best I can do is to tell you to imagine if Spike Milligan was delivering his writings but with a little less humour, a more gentle and more personal humour perhaps; it is weird but once you hear him once you'll never forget him nor mistake him for anyone else to put it bluntly, there is a reason why John Peel had him record more sessions for him than anyone else. The show here captures his mixture very well with a variety of spoken word pieces along with his unique music. Likewise the material is a mix of the funny, the tragic, the strangely personal and the downright weird. Whether or not he overplays it or not, Cutler's "Scottishness" is very up front, with many of his works being a mixture of memories and the expectation of what it is to be Scottish this can be seen in his dress, which is very much that of an old Scottish man, warm and comfortable and familiar.
Overall this is a very enjoyable little show that is worth seeing whether you are aware of Cutler or not. It sums up his work and personality very well and, although he is very close to the sort of person that you would walk away from in a pub if he started going on at you in this manner, he is good here and produces a show that will bring a constant furrowed brow, bewildered smile and warm sensation. Well worth seeing just for the experience.
To the uninitiated, this 30 minute highlight of Cutler's last show will be a bewildering and engaging experience that will see you either won over by him, totally missing the point or, more likely, a mixture of both bewildered in a good way but hooked on every word. To describe him the best I can do is to tell you to imagine if Spike Milligan was delivering his writings but with a little less humour, a more gentle and more personal humour perhaps; it is weird but once you hear him once you'll never forget him nor mistake him for anyone else to put it bluntly, there is a reason why John Peel had him record more sessions for him than anyone else. The show here captures his mixture very well with a variety of spoken word pieces along with his unique music. Likewise the material is a mix of the funny, the tragic, the strangely personal and the downright weird. Whether or not he overplays it or not, Cutler's "Scottishness" is very up front, with many of his works being a mixture of memories and the expectation of what it is to be Scottish this can be seen in his dress, which is very much that of an old Scottish man, warm and comfortable and familiar.
Overall this is a very enjoyable little show that is worth seeing whether you are aware of Cutler or not. It sums up his work and personality very well and, although he is very close to the sort of person that you would walk away from in a pub if he started going on at you in this manner, he is good here and produces a show that will bring a constant furrowed brow, bewildered smile and warm sensation. Well worth seeing just for the experience.
