Strange Face ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Back in 2014 I went with Darkchatter Katerina to see "Strange Face : Adventures with a Nick Drake Recording at The Jekyll and Hyde pub. We loved it so much we persuaded Darkchatter Rick to see it later that week and it went onto win that year's Darkchat award for Best Free Show.

2 years ago I was chatting outside Pleasance Dome and was flyered by Michael Burdett regarding his latest show, discovering "Wham". We couldn't make that Show but I was pleased to see him appearing in this year’s brochure, updating his original show.

As a young man he worked for a record company and had the opportunity to remove unwanted tape recordings from their skip. Amongst these he discovered a previous unknown Nick Drake track.

He then decided, as you do, to travel around the United Kingdom asking strangers, including some famous faces, if they would put on some headphones and listened to it while he took their photograph. Most of them did and the original show recounted his experiences.

The 2026 show relates to a series of coincidences leading him to uncover further undiscovered Nick Drake recordings. The joy of these shows isn't just hearing Michael's tales but his presentation style.

For a man immersed in the musical industry he is a born communicator. His effortless, easy speaking style, the slickness of the show (there are a lot of slides) and his mischievousness in wrong footing the audience are an absolute delight.

There are a lot of one person shows at this festival but few are as well curated and presented as this.

I don't often revisit a show I have seen (there are too many new experiences to be savoured) but I am glad I did today especially as this not the show I saw 12 years ago.

If you a Nick Drake fan this is the show for you.

If you are not a Nick Drake fan this is the show for you, even just so you can boast that you have seen the man who wrote the theme for Homes Under The Hammer!