What do you call a collection of stand-ups? A giggle? There was certainly a giggle squeezed into the Comedy Store this Monday, doing 10-minute turns and hoping to be selected to play the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs Festival in July. As Darwinistic auditions go, this was survival of the wittiest.
Andy Parsons sported a shiny head and polished material and made a quick impact. Much has been made of his potato-headed resemblance to Mel Smith, but, spookily, he talks in the strangled tones of Griff Rhys Jones. Surely the first one-man double act. More impressive was Omid Djalili. This stocky Anglo-Iranian has latterly scaled new heights as one of the few comics to reflect intelligently on September 11 rather than simply poke fun at George Bush's inability to digest pretzels. Djalili surfed a wave of laughter that virtually carried him across the Atlantic.
Hal Cruttenden had some engaging banter about wrongly assuming that gay men are camp, illustrating his theory by demonstrating how Alexander The Great did not mince into Persia. Lone American Dave Fulton had an effective Yank-in-London routine - but would this work in Canada?
The same could be asked of Jimmy Carr. This middle-class master of the off-beam one-liner is about as English as crumpets. Yet we embraced north America's oddball Emo Philips, who has a similar deadpan style, so the transatlantic traffic should go both ways.
While many of the acts donned their best suits, Dara O'Briain bounced on confidently in jeans. He has reason to be assured. In his native Ireland he's a TV star on a par with Paul Merton over here. His ebullient style conquered all just before Marcus Brigstocke closed proceedings with his well-honed thoughts on youth culture. If children today are being brainwashed by violent computer games, why aren't their parents going round impersonating video tennis machines? As a litmus test of stand-up standards, the scene is in rude health, if horrendously male-dominated. Djalili, Carr and O'Briain in particular should make sure their passports are currently valid.
The Comedy Store
