A THREE THING DAY
Press Reviews
Ben Moor has carved out a highly specific niche for comedy-theatre-monologues full of wordplay, one-liners and glorious flights of surrealism. This year’s three-act extravaganza is an object lesson in inventiveness, taking the framework of a (fairly) ordinary day and weaving around it a glorious tapestry of fact, fiction and flights of fancy.
There’s plenty here which is funny and startlingly well observed: a man in “a double-bluff wig”; a person with “surprising and disconcerting warmth like a kitchen composter”; “sconces that look like scones”, or a word like “thrug” – a hug between three people.
But cleverness alone is not enough. In amongst the humour – the surreal (a dolphin infestation in the cellar) and the occasional knock-knock joke – there is a poignant account of a friend’s funeral, the “blanditudes” of the celebrant, the strangeness of clearing a house when the occupant is no longer there and, later, a beautifully observed encounter between the protagonist and his baby niece.
The third part ramps up the surrealism as rail delays and diversions conspire against Moor getting back in time for the opening of his exhibition, The Periodic Table of the Elephant in the Room. But at least he has a rail companion with a story (within a story) to tell.
Moor isn’t dramatic, rather he tends to deliver his monologue in the same even tone. But there is great liveliness in the language, and the original music, composed and recorded by Simon Oakes and the Suns of the Tundra, sketches out a backdrop of moods. Moor’s style won’t be for everyone, but this show is perfect for anyone who loves a Borgesian knot laced with plenty of playfulness, and a warm-hearted reminder of how strange ordinary life can be.
FOUR STAR REVIEW
Susan Mansfield, The Scotsman, 7th August 2025
This show deserves at least one prize: for the most accurate description in the Fringe programme. Here I am, trying to describe Ben Moor’s quick-fire but slow burning humour, and he’s done it for me! Grounded in highly accomplished storytelling, the wit comes from all directions: clever word-play, groan-worthy puns and some great one-liners. Sometimes simply observational, his quirky humour ranges through the ludicrous and surreal to the further shores of philosophy and existential melancholy. Plus, there’s some acutely observed situational comedy. It’s a virtuoso performance, the more so for often being quietly understated. The show had me listening for every word: a wake up, perhaps for similar attentiveness to other shows. Wonderful: Ben Moor comes across with warmth and humanity.
FOUR STAR REVIEW
Alan Cranston, Three Weeks, 6th August 2025
There are a number of companies and comedians who could be regarded as quintessential to the Edinburgh Festival, as if, without them the Fringe simply couldn’t go ahead. Ben Moor is one such artist, that has been delighting and inspiring audiences here for over 25 years.
His beautifully crafted new storytelling play, A Three Thing Day, begins with the simple premise that, on this particular day, Ben has three significant events: the funeral of a friend, a visit to his sister’s house and the launch of his new project, an original take on the periodic table.
Ben navigates his way through meeting up with family, reminiscing with old friends and making new ones—celebrating life with warmth and compassion wherever he goes. He gently leads his audience along with him, creating moments of profound beauty from often everyday situations.
So his phone searches for a network like a lone whale calling to its friends across the ocean; train passengers enter carriages, searching for seats like prospectors.
Along the way, Ben shares what he calls experiences of “vertigo”, in which he has small existential crises in response to the kinds of simple moments that many of us would ignore.
Through fairly unextraordinary circumstances and interactions, there are meditations on the passage of time, childhood, old age, adulthood, life and loss. It’s Ben’s eye for detail and his ability to find the poetic in the mundane that makes A Three Thing Day such a magical experience.
FOUR STAR REVIEW
Tony Trigwell-Jones, British Theatre Guide, 8th August 2025
Actor and writer Ben Moor makes storytelling shows of exceptional delicacy. He has an ability to reframe the mundane and find beauty in everyday moments.
A Three Thing Day, as its name suggests, is a tripartite story, encompassing three events – the funeral of a friend, some family admin and an art opening – which all take place over the course of the day. The things themselves are not remarkable, but Moor’s use of language enriches them. Nearly every line contains an unexpected image or a metaphor spun in a surprising direction. This goes deeper than whimsy and wordplay – though there’s plenty of that – it’s an act of literary defamiliarisation, his writing full of little fantastical flourishes and pinpricks of emotion.
Moor performs in teacherly manner, on a stage bare except for a table. Occasionally he gestures up at the wall where chapter titles would be projected if he could afford the tech. (It’s not a criticism to say this show would work just as well on the radio). He maintains the same gentle pace throughout until the third part, which contains a breathless section in which Moor encounters a verbose woman on a train. In a show of this nature, it’s the equivalent of an action sequence.
Moor is a very understated performer, but that’s part of the charm of his work. You feel well held, and the piece, as a whole, is shot through with warmth and poignancy.
FOUR STAR REVIEW
Natasha Tripney, The Stage, 12th August 2025
