I've
seen many things at different arenas over the past few years, and enjoyed them
all thoroughly. However, I have always been sceptical of comedy in them. I've
seen countless comedians in small venues, and loved the atmosphere that resides
in those places. There is an intimacy between the comedian and their audience,
which makes you feel comfortable and adds to the enjoyment. That was always
going to be impossible to emulate in a 20,000 seat arena. However, comedy shows
in arenas are hugely popular now, so I have always been intrigued.
On
Saturday 4th October, I went to the O2 Arena, with the other half and friends,
to see Lee Evans. These are tickets I had to buy 18 months in advance, in the
hope that one of us didn't die, fall out, emigrate, or more likely, be busy on
the day. It's quite a commitment to make, and a price to pay. I'm used to
paying £10 to see comedians in a 300 seat theatre, brought a few months in
advance. This is a different experience.
However,
it was a great evening. He was gloriously funny, with a sweaty glint on his
forehead. We laughed throughout, and all ended the evening with sore throats
and aching bellies. The couple in front of us commented on how hard and loud my
other half was laughing; luckily, she described it as 'infectious' rather than
'irritating'.
It
was Lee Evans as you would expect. Lots of physical comedy accompanied by sound
effects, and many fantastic observations about the many aspects of life, which
had the audience laughing and cheering. If you like his previous stuff, then
this is more of the same. And to think he did two and a half hours of stand up,
and it was almost all new material, that is just as good as anything
else he's done before, is quite impressive.
The
interesting thing will be watching the DVD, as he almost self-edited it while
he was performing. Jokes about Peter Andre and Katie Price he admitted crossed
a line, but my favourite joke of the night was about Rolf Harris. He isn't a
comedian who tends to do anything topical, but he can do it brilliantly; even if
he cuts the evidence out of his DVD.
Despite
completely enjoyed it (and don't get me wrong, I don't regret going in the
slightest), my fears were met and I ended up watching the majority of it on the
big screens, instead of actually looking at him on stage. It makes you ponder
the purpose of being there, as opposed to just buying the DVD a few months
later. But the atmosphere was brilliant, and it was heart warming to watch him
on stage, receiving the huge round of applause, and still seeing him so humble.
And at the end, he seemed to be genuinely grateful.
Of
course, he ended on a self-penned song like he has on his last few tours.
They're not funny, but again an example of how sincere he is, and always tend
to be a beautiful song for his wife. He also performed his visualisation of the
lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, which is perhaps one of the things he is most
famous for now. It is a great example of his ability to do physical comedy
brilliantly, much like Norman Wisdom (Not an original observation, but still
one I agree with).
Overall,
it was a brilliant experience, and Lee Evans is perhaps one of the best
comedians around, in terms of his dedication, talent, and just general
personality. He is much loved, and I cannot wait to get the DVD to watch again.
I
never for one second doubted it would not be the case, as just over a year ago,
we saw him live in the West End performing in the play Barking in Essex, in
which he was an absolute joy to watch.
However,
whether I would go to an arena again to watch a comedian, I'm more doubtful of.
I stick to my belief of comedy being better in a theatre.
P.S. Below is a video of Lee Evan performing Bohemian Rhapsody. Enjoy.
