Pleasance Courtyard
Aug 10-24,
21:45 pm- 22:45 pm
Prices: £ 8.5o- 9.5o
The Canadian John Hastings took the audience through an autobiographical ‘adventure,’ commencing with his childhood & concluding with his becomeing a stand-up comedian in London. It was all rather reminiscent of Wordsworth’s epic poem, the Prelude. On the way, John described how he was bullied as a fat child, the drunken nights in London and a story with the Megabus. There were some funny bits particularly when it comes to the cultural differences between Canada and the UK. For me, the way he described his entry via the UK borders was probably my only amusing part of the show.
On the other hand, there was a bit too much shouting. It looked more like a theatrical performance than a stand-up comedy. He tended to spice up the show by intimidating the audience. However, this made the session uncomfortable. In addition I am not sure about whether people from audience who he swore at found it acceptable – & taking off his shirt while describing a drunken night did not make the bit funnier and more exiting.
This was an average show with too much noise. Some parts demonstrated his potential, which I believe could be improved upon by a tad better writing. TWO STARS
Reviewer: Grace
