A Fringe Encore: Songwriter and storyteller Daniel Cainer explores his family's Jewish-British identity in his autobiographical solo show. A hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
"While it may not produce the belly laughs promised in his promo ads, it still draws chuckles, even from its gentile patrons…Cainer saves his best routine for last and uses his own father as the comedic target…You don't have to be Jewish (or British) to get a kick out of Cainer's routines, although it certainly would help."
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"His lyrics show a sly sense of humor, and he’s never shy about letting us in on the joke…While his skills as a troubadour are to be admired, each song’s overlength is to the show’s detriment…His persona is engaging, and he’s a consummate entertainer. If there’s a hitch to the show, it’s that while clever, most of its humor is obvious, offering little in the way of irony or double entendre…Some will take to Cainer right off. For others, he may be an acquired taste."
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"Cainer is presenting himself as a modern troubadour. The one downside of this style is that at times it feels like a song has gone on for too long. But then I’ll hear a cheeky bit of rhyming, and I’m sucked back in. The songs are funny and tragic and loving…It’s touching how appreciative and passionate Cainer is about his family…Do you have to be Jewish to appreciate the show?...The non-Jewish members of the audience were clapping and singing in Yiddish too."
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