The word that strikes me with this show is ‘potential’.  While each of these comedians has great ideas, each is also limited in craft to the detriment of the show as a whole.

You can see the ideas growing with James Malcom‘s opening act.  He’s young, and his routine about growing up in Naenae has some great lines – born to work in fast food! – but it is limited in execution.  There are some basics of joke writing that need attention; at several points the punchline is actually contained in the setup.  Still, there’s a developing comedic voice at work here, and I look forward to seeing more from him.

Dan Shenton is up next.  His jokes are based around the idea that living in stereo means living in harmony, and Shenton boldly examines places in New Zealand society where that could and should happen. 

He’s got a great eye for a setup – at one point, we actually coo with delight at the possibilities.  But a weak commitment limits our enjoyment.  Names for the new Mongrel Mob / Black Power lawn mowing business in Dunedin?  Brilliant idea.  More than one name would work well here. 

The final comedian is James Jobe.  He’s engaging to watch; his high-energy approach is a great contrast to Shenton’s more low-key style.  Jobe also acknowledges our reactions, which I really appreciate.  A joke about how the audience at the gig should sabotage Reading Cinema is wonderful, and it is great to see Jobe put the comedy back on himself.

With Jobe, though, my biggest question is “Who is the butt of this joke?”  There’s a long section about his dad’s rage at TV commercial, and believe me, my partner has listened to more than a few rants about the women in yoghurt ads, but Jobe keeps glancing sideways at his dad throughout.  I get the feeling these jokes were not run past the family first, and it makes me uncomfortable to see Jobe so uneasy.  A simple preface along the lines of “My dad is the gentlest man in the world” would go a long way here. 

For me, the most engaging part of the night is Jobe and Shenton’s introduction.  It is short and to the point, but I get the feeling that these guys enjoy sharing the stage.  I can’t help but wonder whether they would work as a double-act, trading off as they go rather than each taking a long turn.

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