Jerry Sadowitz hates everybody. Post-ironically of course. I have been watching Sadowitz at every opportunity for 22 years, twice last year at the Fringe. But I think last night was my final time at least for a while, because he hates me too. Not just because I was on the fifth row at Edinburgh worst's Fringe venue as all those who bought seats early rightly received his amusing ire. No, it is because he hates all his "fans". He started his show a woefully unprofessional 33 minutes late - the only show of my 3 weeks in Edinburgh that could not start on time, and that at ?24.50 a ticket. We all stood outside the Playhouse to slow hand claps and people all around leaving and threatening to leave. Maybe that explained the empty seats even at the front of the theatre. Jerry likes to think we hate him for his anarchy. No.. we love him for that. It's his unprofessionalism. The show? Decent new stand-up, some familiar tricks he used last year which belies his ability as one of Britains's greatest ever card magicians. Fair enough. He's safely sticking to what he knows works. But this review goes Further than that. Because safety and Sadowitz are ill-conceived bedfellows. Sometimes it seems Sadowitz does not really realise what he has.A rarely paralleled card magician and I for one whooped with delight when he reincarnated one of the greatest TV formats of recent decades in The People Versus Jerry Sadowitz last year live. But the run was cancelled half way through just as I was about to visit "The People versus" again - after all you can go and see improv every day and no-one is better than Sadowitz at this instant anger. I also stood (in the rain last year) to a fellow queue of slow hand claps and a wet angry audience with young theatre facilitators apologising for his lack of professionalism ("I'll speak to his agent" one girl said!) He was apparently whinging he was going to cancel the show unless more volunteers came forward. So much for working an audience and to put these student staff (who were excellent) in this position on at least one rainy midnight is pitiful. It was a lousy way to start an entertainment and I stupidly came back for more!! Everyone makes a mistake. But last night history repeated. He pats himself on the back for being "difficult" yet most of us in life have learned more sophisticated ways of dealing with life's pathways.New fans will occasionally find Sadowitz and enjoy him but he really needs a better agent. For me however it's thank you and goodnight.After all it's supposed to be be fun. I'll just share one one touching moment from last year for those who know the format of The People Versus. (MOTP comes on stage and makes a comment or question and Jerry buzzes them off when they get boring). Last year, a young man came on and said, "Jerry, you're QUITE a good magician. BUZZ. Lad gets up to leave. Jerry UNBUZZES him, gets up and pulls him back to continue what he said. This was a rare spark of humility that I have found incredibly touching ever since I saw it and it has lived with me. No-one who sits in his bedroom for a decade or 5 practising with a deck or cards could really fail to possess this but Jerry keeps it pretty well hidden and has never played and exploited these broader emotional connections with his audience. As a result the act does not evolve. Maybe he's missing a trick.
