Gilgamesh

John Heimbuch looked right at me

John Heimbuch looked right at me a couple of times, which made me feel validated. I know him as a director, but now I know him as an actor. He is very good at both things. He drank some beer on stage, which was pretty cool.

Great Last-Minute Show

John filled in with less than 24 hours notice for a show that had to drop out, and did a brilliant job at it. He does a wonderful job narrating the original hero's journey. After the pandemic the themes of mortality and grief seem especially poignant. A great show that is unlike anything else in the festival.

Absolutely Solid Show!

Solid script, solid performance, solid show! What more do you want? Go see this show!

Love this show

John Heimbuch is incredible! Very lucky to see this show- I think I'll need to see this one again.

A must see!

John is a masterful storyteller and Charlie Bethel’s interpretation is amazing. Don’t miss this one.

The age of storytellers resurrected...

What I loved about it is what I loved about Heimbach's Beowulf when I saw it in someone's backyard. As a history nerd, I think it's hardest for people to grasp, on an emotional level, the impact of a bard or a skald or a poet, and how it wasn't just that there was no other kind of entertainment, but how the words and the performance grabed the eye and the mind. Heimbach manages to do that; the way how he sprinkles in the colloquialisms with the poetry is particularly effective. You emotionally feel how people would sit and watch this, five thousand years ago. It was well done, and I wish I'd been able to see it sooner, and write this review sooner!

Absolutely mesmerizing.

What a masterpiece of oral storytelling! John Heimbuch did an absolutely perfect job bringing this old, old story to life and making it feel approachable without sacrificing its identity. It's often a struggle to maintain focus in a solo show, but not so here: his performance kept me riveted the entire time. Passionate, funny, ethereal, and relatable. This show struck some deep, timeless chord in me that I haven't been able to shake ever since. A must-see, for anyone.

Something new each time I hear this

This is the second or third time that I've seen this play. It bears seeing multiple times. Things I didn't pick up on last time were the repeated use of "six days. and seven nights" or the story of how Utnapishtam(sp?) came to be where he is. I recommend seeing it at this Fringe and then seeing it again the next time John Heimbuch does Gilgamesh.

oh wow

first beowulf at fringe central, then this show in the round. i LOVED this. it was funny, exciting, gripping, delivered perfectly. i’d love to catch this again outside of fringe!

Two Brilliant Bonuses at Last Minute!

John Heimbuch is an amazing solo performer and storyteller. See him wherever and whenever possible. The 30th MN Fringe Festival was gifted twice by last minute inclusions of his talents! John filled in as a last minute replacement at Theater in the Round, which can be a difficult venue with lots of rehearsal time. He worked the audience, who were melded in the palm of his hand, as if we were gathered round a fire of thousand of years ago listening to the oral history or a great bard. In addition, he performed Beowulf at Fringe Central. Both were brilliant treats, proof of "you never know what's going to happen at the Fringe"! It's a magical world where some of the best performers step to the plate for the first time or the N-teeth time! Thanks.

Mesmerizing

Fringe shows are usually pretty simple in setup, but this is the simplest possible: one performer, a stool, a glass of beer (or maybe that was just for the 10 pm performance). I loved Beowulf in 2019 and Gilgamesh might be even better, a meditation on death and power that speaks across the centuries with both strangeness and deep familiarity. Highly, highly recommended.

Putting the "Oooh!" in Utnapishtim

John appears quite at home in the theatre-in-the-round space, luring in the entire audience with his deft storytelling skills and the wonderful script by Charlie Bethel. I was excited to see what new layers of the legend would come to light. I have taught the OG epic for years up in Alaska, and I was happy to see John deliver the goods, adding enchanting new details (love the loaves!) and capturing the hero’s journey with zeal. Having a cloaked Urshanabi gather Fringe tokens on the way in is the only improvement I would make. If you want to hear civilization's oldest surviving epic shared by a master performer, this is definitely for you.

An EPIC reading of an EPIC!

I honestly did not know what to expect when I sat down to see this show. I hadn’t really done much research into the show - I just knew it was Gilgamesh…and I love Gilgamesh! The stage was sparse - just a stool with a pint of beer on it. That’s it. There’s literally nothing else present. Then, the lights dim, the standard “Welcome to Fringe” announcement is made, and then out walks John. And he begins talking & does not stop for the better part of an hour. And I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE TIME! I’ve heard the Epic of Gilgamesh told & retold a dozen different ways, and this was by far the most enthralling. John makes this multi-millennia-old tale feel as vibrant and as relevant as if it happened last week! It is amazing, heartbreaking, and titillating until the very last syllable. May Ishtar smile upon John Heimbuch!!

Fun and Accessible Telling!

One Person shows are one of the biggest hit-or-miss of theatre. Happy to say Gilgamesh was a hit! John Heimbuch is a masterful storyteller, and knowing this was an immensely last minute fill in makes me extra impressed. Deserves a good crowd.

Superbly Sumerian

John has taken up the mantle of Bethel's work with such care, and love. His appreciation for the text, the audience and the creator just ripple off him. Don't be fooled by its late addition to the festival. He's been honing this show in backyards, parks, living rooms and across the country. Give yourself a treat to watch him deliver a muscular energetic performance