ED2017 4/5 Reviews ED2017 Comedy Reviews

Ian Smith: Snowflake (Bound And Gagged Comedy)

By | Published on Friday 25 August 2017

The title of Ian Smith’s show is a little misleading; it has nothing to do with the fashionable political pejorative, and more to do with the weather in Norway, where he recently holidayed. Such awkward coincidence conveniently suits Smith’s persona of comic victimhood, as he directs his nervous frustration towards the various farces of his life – shopping, neighbours, romance. Some set-pieces feel slightly familiar, but he periodically abandons the formulaic for the absurd, teasing the audience and revealing a fondness for invention and play; someone in the front row interrupts a joke to walk to the toilet, so he steals their coat while they’re gone. In the end, the audience is charmed by his endearing Yorkshire whimsy, his instinct for the ridiculous and by the interconnectedness of human foibles.

Underbelly Med Quad, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [John Maier]

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