Comedy by a Ragdoll on Strings

On Friday I received an invite to see Chris Addison perform his show 'The Time is now, Again' at The Gulbenkian, Canterbury, with my usual comedy-watching partner after he possessed an extra ticket for no obvious reason. Following the text just an hour before the show started, I had to cook and chew my dinner in half an hour, to then jump in the car to ensure I was there on time. I then watched Chris Addison with indigestion.

The following two hours were filled with comedy rants from a well-informed viewpoint by a tall, slightly camp, man who burns extra calories by continuously patrolling the stage. I like to think of him as a Ragdoll being operated from above with strings, from his occasional prancing about, elaborate hand movements and floppy curly hair. He was a joy to watch, not just listen to.

He ranted about a varying topic list, such as the Riots, Politics, the Monarchy, Science, the 'Eurozone', Newspapers, Microwaves, Immigration/The Wombles, Olive Oil, and also discussing lies told to children and the long effect they can have upon someone. Each topic was presented to us, the audience, in an eloquent manner without the need for swearing when being angry about a topic - which I always say is the best type of comedy. I have no issue with a comedian swearing, but not in every sentence - it shows ignorance.

So, not only was Chris Addison eloquent, he was well-informed, knowing everything he needed to for his routine. His in-depth knowledge in politics really engages the audience, has them believing his every word and mostly, makes for incredibly thought out gags. The same can be said about his routines about most of the topics, and I actually left more knowledgeable as well as smiling after a lovely evening out.

I would recommend seeing him, but what with only one date of his tour left, I see very little point. So, instead, I suppose I'll have to recommend the DVD if he brings one out for the tour. It was one for all the family, despite him willing a 15 year old girl to grab a knife and start stabbing people as she was ‘slacking’ in having stabbed no-one. He came across as incredibly smart, witty, very funny and he wasn’t afraid to laugh at his own jokes.

Interestingly, I find that even though Chris Addison has had quite lot of success, people are still not sure of who he is. Well, he took over from Frankie Boyle on Mock the Week. He wrote and performed in a sitcom called LabRats (Something I loved, but seems no-one else did). He's been in Skins (apparently). He is in the BBC 4 sitcom The Thick of It, and in the film version In The Loop. Still don't know who he is? Well, he's the Direct Line representative who deals with difficult customers, in their adverts. Oh, now you know who he is…

This is my first time to the Gulbenkian for nearly a year. Who will I go see next, I don't know. However, I'm pretty sure I won't be going to see Lee Nelson performing there in a few months time. I'm too much of a comedy snob for him, as I'm sure you'll agree...