COMEDY
Showing @ Gilded Balloon, until 28 Aug @ 15:15
If there’s one thing that defines the British middle classes, it’s the love of a good afternoon tea. Complete with quirky tea sets, elaborate cupcakes and subtly multicoloured bunting, it’s no surprise than Tom Allen attracts a wide range of viewers, from parents with their children to pensioners with grey hair. Smartly dressed in a waistcoat and bright red trousers that scream “camp”, Allen interviews no less than five of the Fringe’s comedy acts.
As with the bulk of talk shows, there’s a lot of plugging of other acts going on. This is all well and good, but at times it becomes more like an advertising showcase than a production people have paid to see in its own right. This is particularly true of the earlier guests, the Behemoth, who are pretty rushed and full of self-promotion without really getting across what either they or their show is all about. The later guests, however, prove to be much more down-to-earth, and an interesting discussion about the nature of comedy feels like being a fly on the wall spying on a group of friends in the middle of a very honest discussion. This isn’t, in fact, far from the truth, as Allen seems to know all of his guests through some obscure connection, be that a shared hometown or old friends from drama school. This exclusivity and seeming disregard for whether or not the audience can follow their discussion is actually much more intriguing than it sounds, revealing quite intimate details that might otherwise remain hidden if there was an agenda to keep the topics universal.
Despite all this, there’s still an absence of flourish from Allen. Having recently compered at the packed-out Gilded Balloon launch party, he proved to have huge amounts of energy and a commanding stage presence. Allen has more to offer than “just” a chat show, and it is both surprising and a shame that he isn’t showing off more of his talents in a dedicated stand-up set.
Comments