CityLife Rating
Michael McIntyre
IT’S amazing the effect a bit of telly can have on a comedian’s career.
One minute you’re playing in the back room of a pub to a man eating a bag of pork scratchings and the landlord’s maiden aunt, the next you’re in the local large scale theatre with 2,000 people hanging on to your every word and coyly tinkling with laughter. Very civilised.
That’s possibly a bit of an exaggeration in regard to Michael McIntyre’s career. He hasn’t just sprung from open spot to solo gigs, he’s put the work in as one of the many acts that has been working the circuit week after week for years.
But it has taken appearances on BBC’s Mock The Week and Have I Got News for You plus The Charlotte Church Show and Richard and Judy - not to mention his many radio appearances - for the country to notice and decide he’s the latest hot property in comedy.
His experience on the comedy circuit was very much in evidence at The Lowry; particularly in the impromptu reactions required when it comes to chatting to the several latecomers that enter the room as he observes the three basic methods by which people let the tardy one past - the complete stand-up, the seated twizzle and the useless back arch.
Traffic jams
Moving into his material the opening section is a little disappointingly obvious; reactions to traffic jams and speeding on the motorway feature.
Yet in amongst the more pedestrian of routines there are some lovely lines – on a car overtaking from behind while stuck following a tractor his mother notes ‘he won’t get there any faster,’ McIntyre bemoans ‘he will, he’s doing 90 and I’ve travelling at 4mph and I’ve got hay in my hair.’
Elsewhere there are nicely sustained observations on the no mans land between Christmas and New Year - the only time you would consider eating a vegetable sandwich plus the National Savings and Investments phone line staffed by OAPS.
It would be churlish to knock McIntyre as he delivers a show with such gusto (so much so that he dislocated his shoulder a few weeks ago in Wolverhampton) and is one of those comedians who looks like he is thoroughly enjoying his work.
What did you think? Have your say.
Reviewed: Mon, 10 November, 2008
CityLife Ratings
Your Ratings (Rollover to rate)
You must be logged in to rate this event
Register Now to rate this
