Did you ever wonder what your teachers do in their spare time? Well, it turns out it is bottomless champagne cruises and week-long trips on psychedelics… or at least in Ty Gray’s case.
Gray makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut with Those Who Can’t Do, a show filled with anecdotes from his life as a teacher. Many teachers have turned to careers in comedy over the years, including the likes of Greg Davies, Romesh Ranganathan, and Guz Khan.
Gray hails from Australia and has also previously taught in Thailand. The show’s structure prevents the set from flowing smoothly; instead Gray seems to jump from story to story, going back and forth without a chronological order, or any kind of obvious sequence.
It’s very early in the festival, and I feel nerves may have played a part in his delivery. His speech was very quick, and he often moved on to the next story without allowing the previous joke or anecdote to fully land. His stories most often came from his personal life, and less often about classroom antics, which is what one would expect from the show.
Gray is clearly a naturally funny guy, and with some tweaks in content and structure and a more confident delivery – which I’m sure will come with time over the month – this has the potential to be a hilarious show. Those Who Can’t Do is an enjoyable hour of comedy, and is on as part of the Free Festival with Pay What You Can Tickets!
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