GAMARJOBAT
Marvellous Mohican mime 0000
The first wee bit of this punk ha'red Japanese duo's show has IIIH)‘ getting up to all sorts of min‘e tomtoolery; standard piaygrouitd stutt’
like pretending to pull I'itHl thumbs off.
In less utterly charming hands this might have been tiresome. but Iii(:.l repartee is met With gargantuan laughter from an audience well and truly in the palm of their tiiun‘l:less hands. Not that you get to be iiist a caSual observer. Audience partiCipation in the pairs antics is actively encowaged during A Shut Up Comedy From Japan by the use of lollipops: people Will do funny things on the promise of sweets.
A placard is placed in the middle of
the stage leaning 'lhe Boxer". the lghts dim and the real show starts. The Illf~i scene is a slow motion tl‘-('IE>I(}tt>.(}t;(} recreation of said pugilist :n the tirxal throsxs of getting knocked out. .'.’lii) beautiliillv observed muscle (;()l‘.l()liit)l‘if; and lacial expressions. Hilarity. returns as the pair recreate Home, montages of training sessions and the boxer falling in love. Tender. imaginative and funny. (Merag Bruce) I C I lerifrlc. (>870 70/ 53105). until 25) Aug. 7'»..l:'§pni. 510.330 l5‘(i.:3()— F850).
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82 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE ."'- Ar; a Bit L’fil r"
SEYMOUR MACE
Imaginary friends and weird prizes 0...
The tradition of the deliberately crap stand—up goes back some way. Everyone from Tommy Cooper to Tony Carter With Johnny Vegas crammed in between has created art out of making an arse of it. Seymour Mace is the next contender to that throne. and. haVing appeared With Vegas in Ideal. has clearly had an expert tutor. particularly in the way that he blurs the line between the real Mr Mace and the stage persona. While uncertainty muddies our understanding of whether our host is genuinely rubbish. the characters (the imaginary friends he has been reunited with) are beyond the pale.
There is the neurotic white rapping poet and the dire end‘ot‘the pier impersonator whose appearances are hookended by screen footage of a bunch of Mace's comedy pals discussing their own imaginary friends. Where the show really takes off is with the hilarious climax of a revamped Generation Game, which on this night lH\.’()i‘.'(}(i bringing a young girl on stage to try and recall some truly oddball gifts which nurtled along a human conveyor belt. Fittineg played out at the venue where The Odd Couple is reeling them in, this is the Surreal deal. (Brian Donaldson)
I ASseliilflv Rooms. 226 3128, until 28 Aug. 9.30pm, {USO—£70.50 (F850 5960/.
WIL HODGSON
Wrestling with some dark recesses .00.
Word has it that Wil Hodgson offered an audience their cash back after a show he deemed was less than glorious. The punter I spoke to from that night blamed a reluctant crowd
more than the performer. This is the way with a Hodgson gig: if you're not Willing to be a rodent to Hodgson‘s pied piper you may well get lost. Wander from his trail and he'll have you floundering in a pool of misery, not knOWing where the next laugh will ever come from.
Hodgson scooped the Perrier Newcomer Award last year, and he appears to have consolidated that success rather than veering off course. My Little Pony, communism and wrestling crop up once again but Hodgson has gone deeper into a mire of hopelessness. questioning why certain people are the way they are and wondering if there can ever be a place for him in a world he constantly loathes. But heck, he's funny with it.
Wrapping his arms round the mic like a somewhat tubbier Julian Cope. Hodgson doesn‘t mind making you wait up to six or seven minutes till he gets anywhere near a humourous line. He's not everyone's bowl of soup. but we have to be thankful that someone still cares about their art.
(Brian Donaldson) I Holyrood Tavern, 07947 697 98 7, until 28 Aug, 8.30pm, £6.
JAMES DOWDESWELL Revenge of the geek 0000
There's always one kid at school who gets bullied for having really crazy hair, and as Bristol's answer to Screech from Saved By the Bell. James Dowdeswell certainly got his fair share of hassle. But as he cleverly points out. it's often the ugly ducklings that thrive when they leave education. while the once popular kids tend to go straight into middle management. His particular brand of nostalgia is perfectly pitched between recognisable memories and unique observations. but there's more to his show than well selected anecdotes. He has decided to test the theOry that if you look at the boy aged seven. you'll see the man he Will become. The result is a well paced tour through his lite. from the youngster who dreamed of asthma to the 28- year-old man who befriends homeless Rastalarians. stopping off at ages 14 and 21 along the way. This reminiscent ster of comedy is a well-worn approach. but Dowdeswell‘s intelligent and inventive style. not to mention his spot—on Welsh accent, saves it from becoming Just another coming-of—age stand up show. (Rachael Street) I Gilded Balloon Tewot, 668 .7633. until 28 Aug. 7.45pm, $750—$850 life. 50—47. :30».