Matty Hutson is a musical comedian who tours all over the UK. He’s also developed an online following across social media. ‘Don’t Hold Back’ is his debut full-length Fringe show. We spoke to him about the show and encouraging audience interaction.
Can you tell us about ‘Don’t Hold Back’?
It’s a musical comedy show about trying and failing to fit in. I fancied a challenge, so I’ve learned a whole load of new instruments and filled the stage with them, and I’ve been messing around with new genres and styles of music. It’s a show that treads the fine line between very silly and very sincere and I’m really excited for people to see it.
Audience interaction is encouraged in your show – to the point of enlisting them as impromptu backing singers or percussionists – has this ever gone badly wrong? Or is the unpredictability part of the joy of it?
It’s just a bit of good clean fun and I’m not looking for virtuosos. I know we are currently in Instagram’s golden age of mean crowd work – but when I’m asking questions I’m just trying to get to know people – I’m the only guy I’m trying to make look stupid.
Can you remember the first song you wrote that you performed live, and how did it go down?
Yes – I was 18 and I wrote it for a girl I met on a lads holiday after she said she didn’t want to be my girlfriend (she already had one that was a 26-year-old butcher). I compared us to two flies that were buzzing by a bin and it is perhaps the most underappreciated piece of art of the 21st century.
This is your debut Fringe show. What are your hopes and expectations for August?
Untempered praise, stadium tour, platinum album, heroin overdose.
Beside ‘Don’t Hold Back’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?
I steam my vocal cords for six hours every day and practise an ancient form of Tibetan breathwork that allows me to boil a pot of water gripped between my thighs – but around that you’ll see me at a few mixed bill shows over the month – and hopefully a couple of improv shows as well.
Apart from your show, what else are you looking forward to (or even perhaps dreading) about the Fringe?
Your ego can creep up on you a little bit at the Fringe – so you’ve got to watch out for that. But as long as I’ve got people coming through the door and they’re laughing I’ll be grand.
Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?
David McIver is my top secret Fringe recommendation – I’ve seen his show in preview and it’s brilliant. He’s very tiny – and very handsome.
‘Don’t Hold Back’ runs from Wed 2 to Sun 27 Aug 2023 (except Mon 14) at Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic at 19:15