Ross Noble- Tangentleman
Another trip to Tunbridge Wells last night, this time to the Assembly Hall Theatre for Ross Noble. It's a solid venue to watch big comedy names with a capacity little over a thousand, even if the theatre has recently been declared not fit for purpose. It's admittedly difficult to overlook the fact that many of the seats at the back are frayed and held together with gaffer tape.
I had seen Noble take on a rowdy Friday night crowd at the Hammersmith Apollo last month and was curious to see to what extent the material of this famous improviser would differ. In the opening half, I identified five minutes of recurring gags in a whirlwind set featuring a mischievous take on the Prophet Mohammad, Chas and Dave at CERN and goodness knows what else.
I'm normally drawn to comedians with a strong persona or point of view. With Noble there is none to speak of. But his shows are a celebration of all that is daft, silly and fun. He makes every show feel like a unique event involving everyone in the room, sharply incorporating audience banter and local references (Noble lives "up the road" apparently). "You had to be there" is a frequently used expression in relation to reporting on these events but in Noble's case, you really did need to be there. I can't explain to you why the idea of a Jihadi St Bernard is funny. But for two hours, we're drawn into a hilarious world where all of this nonsense makes sense.
People are often dismissive of surrealism, but what sets Noble apart is the commitment to the scenarios he sets up, whether it's replicating the Large Hadron Collider or imitating a UKIP member wielding a dog on a stick. As at the Hammersmith show, a routine about owl fornication goes on a bit too long but ends in the revelation that a military veteran in the crowd (a focal point in the second half) has an owl. Noble asked him to tweet a photo after the gig and the self-styled Bond villain was true to his word (see below). A routine about teaching his children not to talk to strangers while they shout non-sequiturs at him in the street was a delight, a closing routine relying on the similarity of "Jews" and "juice" less so.
I remember going to see Noble for the first time on his Nobleism tour at the Hexagon in Reading in 2007. Two and half hours later I was in awe and I've caught him on every tour since. Last night's show cemented his place as one of our finest comedic talents and as a master of the craft.
I had seen Noble take on a rowdy Friday night crowd at the Hammersmith Apollo last month and was curious to see to what extent the material of this famous improviser would differ. In the opening half, I identified five minutes of recurring gags in a whirlwind set featuring a mischievous take on the Prophet Mohammad, Chas and Dave at CERN and goodness knows what else.
I'm normally drawn to comedians with a strong persona or point of view. With Noble there is none to speak of. But his shows are a celebration of all that is daft, silly and fun. He makes every show feel like a unique event involving everyone in the room, sharply incorporating audience banter and local references (Noble lives "up the road" apparently). "You had to be there" is a frequently used expression in relation to reporting on these events but in Noble's case, you really did need to be there. I can't explain to you why the idea of a Jihadi St Bernard is funny. But for two hours, we're drawn into a hilarious world where all of this nonsense makes sense.
People are often dismissive of surrealism, but what sets Noble apart is the commitment to the scenarios he sets up, whether it's replicating the Large Hadron Collider or imitating a UKIP member wielding a dog on a stick. As at the Hammersmith show, a routine about owl fornication goes on a bit too long but ends in the revelation that a military veteran in the crowd (a focal point in the second half) has an owl. Noble asked him to tweet a photo after the gig and the self-styled Bond villain was true to his word (see below). A routine about teaching his children not to talk to strangers while they shout non-sequiturs at him in the street was a delight, a closing routine relying on the similarity of "Jews" and "juice" less so.
I remember going to see Noble for the first time on his Nobleism tour at the Hexagon in Reading in 2007. Two and half hours later I was in awe and I've caught him on every tour since. Last night's show cemented his place as one of our finest comedic talents and as a master of the craft.
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