FESTIVAL COMEDY REVIEWS
JOE LYCETT Relaxed raconteur with mischievous glint ●●●●●
This may be Joe Lycett’s debut solo year, but his confidence and comic timing would be the envy of the most experienced turn. Blessed with the fruity tones of Dale Winton, and Kenneth Williams’ imperi- ous demeanor, Lycett’s unabashedly effete persona belies a waspish wit and a merciless desire to punc- ture pomposity. A fluent, relaxed raconteur, the Birmingham-based
comic relies a little too heavily on his audience as a springboard, but he does have a rare capacity to get everyone in the room onside and egging him on in some of his more mischievous escapades. Material about his bad behaviour on Grindr, an elaborate email exchange with an internet troll and the joys of flaunt- ing a Greggs pasty in the Emporio Armani store are almost outrageous enough to be true.
And if some of his routines are a little hoary (David Baddiel did the shy bladder in the gents’ loos spiel 20 years ago), his curiosity and keen observational skills should keep him in material for years to come. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug (not 13), 8.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8).
CHECKLEY AND BUSH Assured and infectious sketch play ●●●●●
Two friends navigate a comic misunderstanding while awaiting rescue from a breakdown recovery man. A menacing trainee marriage counsellor dis- plays her love of books by Martina Cole. With song parodies, Olympics on stage, exaggerated danc- ing and an ode to Marks and Sparks, it’s quickly apparent that Laura Checkley and Victoria Bush are assured performers; their repartee is natural and unforced, and an infectious giddy humour warms the room up immediately.
Some glorious turns of phrase are tucked in there, and they swing between different personae with ease. There’s excellent material in places, but other pieces drag and skew the overall pace. But, it’s silly and feelgood and makes one want to storm the stage and throw some shapes along with them. And while I didn’t have so much fun that I forgot my name, as suggested, it was a lot of fun. If madcap and music mashed with sly, sometimes uncomfort- able, observation blows your hair back, then this one goes out to you. (Peggy Hughes) ■ The Caves, 556 5375, until 26 Aug (not 14), 8.55pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7).
SHIT-FACED SHAKESPEARE To drink or not to drink? ●●●●●
Don’t worry, overseas visitors, the actors in Shit-Faced Shakespeare don’t have actual excrement smeared over their faces. Although it’s possible that, before the end of this run, that might actually happen. Instead, a different cast member turns up every night to play a part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream completely shit-faced: plastered, pissed up, inebriated, mindlessly drunk.
Tonight, it’s John Sebastian playing Demetrius who stumbles, lunges and burps his way around the stage for most of the hour. The set-up’s unpredictability makes for a hilarious opening: tonight, Sebastian forgets his own lines but remembers everyone else’s, drunkenly moans, ‘my agent told me not to do this show’ and at one point, struts to the front of the stage and majestically declares, ‘I will only drink gin!’ There’s an, ‘I love you, man’ undercurrent to his performance as well, as he can’t stop telling the audience how good all his fellow actors are. He’s right, too; the rest of the cast are impressive, and not just at keeping a straight face when things go wrong. Without their talent – and with a less convivial drunk – this would be a frustrating evening.
That said, the show can be uncomfortable to watch, especially when the already shit-faced Sebastian is presented with yet more booze to down. An audience member behind me whispers, ‘he can’t die from this, can he?’ and a lot of people look genuinely worried, but the night’s compere seems always on hand to avert disaster. With this show, Tax Deductible Theatre provide a much- needed late night offering for people who don’t care for stand-up but want to see theatre that’s a bit more rowdy after 10pm. It won’t win any plaudits from the health authorities, but it’s a gut-busting hour that rediscovers the original raucous spirit of Shakespeare. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ C, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug (not 13), 10.20pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£7.50–£9.50).
JESSICA FOSTEKEW Funny and fascinating exploration of words ●●●●●
Generally speaking, sitting in front of a stand-up comedian for an hour is an educational experience (even if the only thing you learn is that you want to be somewhere else). Happily, sharing 60 min- utes with Jessica Fostekew is a learning curve in the best sense, acquiring knowledge while having fun.
Fostekew’s show is about etymology, the study of origins and meanings of words and phrases. For example, the word ‘handsome’, which we now accept means ‘easy on the eye’ is, Fostekew informs us, derived from the old English words ‘hand’ and ‘some’ meaning ‘easy to handle’. This is the kind of slippage that Fostekew finds – and makes – funny when she puts it in the context of boyfriends.
And if you want to discover the roots of ‘one for the road’, ‘off the wagon’ and ‘hangover’, then this is the show for you. Fostekew’s a charming and witty stage presence, and her mining of language for its true meanings is both fascinating and funny. (Miles Fielder) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug (not 14), 6.30pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50).
54 THE LIST 9–16 Aug 2012