We were very excited when we first went into this show. However, much to our initial disappointment, it turned out that this was not a screening of a lost Confessions Of… film from the 70s starring Tony Blair’s father-in-law and that bloke that looks like the lovechild of Mick Jagger and Keith Chegwin (Confessions of a Window Cleaner is still our favourite, in case you’re wondering. Look it up… you’re welcome, in advance). Instead, we were treated to an hour of comedic storytelling from George Zacharopoulos as he laid out the ups and downs of the preceding year of his life, with pit stops involving muffins, intercontinental Tinder dating, cheeky Nandos, hot tub fingering and inadvertent male prostitution (and goodness knows we’ve all been there…right? Guys? Hello…?)
After a slightly hesitant start, Zacharopoulos delves into his story, proper. Over the next hour, the (standing room only) audience are treated to his tale that began with a long-term relationship breakdown and how this led into his pseudo-sexual odyssey around the globe and the people he met therein. This includes the variety of different women from all over the world and the various things that he feels they taught him on his path to becoming a better lover (where were these women when we needed them?). He outlines each of his varied encounters with a natural charm, and with a suitable level of detail that we are sure we’ll find the memories of them useful in future (you know, in our private time).
Zacharopoulos is a charismatic raconteur and his story not only elicits laughter but is also, at times, poignant and moving. It is clear his tale is from the heart and has had a palpable effect on his outlook on life.
A funny, heart-warming hour that also offers an overview of tentative steps into bondage experimentation, Zacharopoulos’ confessions are an entertaining way to spend an hour at the festival. It made us feel real human emotions, which we generally try to avoid, lest it force us to confront the yawning black chasm in our souls, which we usually attempt to fill with an elaborate series of knob jokes.