Psyched up – Uri Geller to attend Fringe

Published: 05 August, 2010
by JOSH LOEB

ONE is a “psychic”, the other is “psyched up”. 

Comedian Nathan Penlington could hardly have predicted that his hero Uri Geller would invite him to to pay a visit to his Berkshire home – but that is exactly what happened after the spoon-bending paranormalist read about Mr Penlington’s show at the Camden Fringe festival.

Geller, who Nathan describes as his “inspiration”, made the invitation over the phone after reading about the 34-year-old’s stand-up show, Uri and Me – due to be staged at Camden Town’s Etcetera Theatre next week.

And this week Mr Geller told the New Journal that he hoped to travel to Camden Town to attend a performance.

“I see any parody of Uri Geller as complimentary,” he said. “I am looking forward to the show and to meeting him.” 

Mr Geller, who rose to fame on TV when he demonstrated what he claimed were his telepathic powers, said he had been impressed by Nathan’s comedy after reading an extract from the show, which is described in publicity material as “an obsessive deconstruction of the spoon-bending cultural icon that fuses stand-up, spoken word and psychic ability”.

Nathan said he felt nervous about the prospect of performing in front of his idol.

“I was thinking of calling him up to the stage as there are a lot of points where I use audience participation,” he said.

“In any fringe festival there are always shows about celebrities, but you don’t often get them attending.”

Nathan said it was his “dream come true” to have been invited to meet Mr Geller.

When it comes to his claimed telepathic powers, however, Nathan said he hopes his show “treads a fine line between belief and a healthy scepticism”.

Its flyer even includes a quote from magician James Randi – a renowned sceptic of Geller’s “mystical powers”.

“I joked that I am going to be attending with my solicitor,” Mr Geller told the New Journal, adding: “I always say that I should send people like James Randi a bouquet of flowers, because without the controversy that shrouded me throughout my career I would not have had the career I had. As Oscar Wilde said, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”  

• Uri and Me is at the Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street, NW1, from August 12-14. For tickets (£7.50) call 08444 77 1000.