Venue150@EICC, 150 Morrison Street, 21-29 August (not 23), 9:30 pm
Jimmy Carr’s fans let him get away with quite a lot.
As he explains at the outset of his encore, anything is permissible in comedy as long as the audience allows it. The audience’s benign sovereignty is a key factor in many comedians’ acts, and it certainly is in Carr’s. His clean-cut, slightly nerdy appearance is juxtaposed with the countless one-liners that range from naughty, to dirty, to occasionally cringe-inducing. As well, he expresses a kind of familiarity with the crowd born of their long working relationship. For instance, shortly before wrapping up his show, Carr announces, “There is always more if you want it,” anticipating the audience’s demand for an encore and returning quickly to the stage before the initial applause has even peaked. He knows, of course, that they do want it.
The encore is conducted as an experiment, with the audience’s participation, to see how far he can push the boundaries of propriety before the crowd cries foul. The idea is probably that more sensitive viewers can make their escape before the really nasty stuff begins. However, there is plenty in the main act itself that could raise eyebrows among a more conservative crowd. Luckily, though, Carr is sufficiently well-known that most people in the audience are aware of what they’re getting into, and it’s a rare joke that sees gasps of shock outnumber the guffaws. In fact, the audience loves it, soaks it up – grants Carr permission to proceed. Again, as long as the crowd allows it, anything is permissible, and Carr is only too glad to run with this.
Carr’s style of comedy revolves around the one-liner, but he finds ways to diversify the act and give it a more dynamic appearance. He groups jokes and introduces them by subject, then accompanies them with a slide-show presentation of cartoons which, again, are definitely for a mature (and preferably open-minded) audience. Similarly, Carr not only incorporates a necessary amount of audience participation in his act, he seems to thrive on it. He doesn’t just handle hecklers, but appears to welcome them, and at times openly invites interaction. Several episodes in the show involve audience members coming on stage to play a role, and while Carr clearly makes some effort to choose promising candidates, it’s hard to say whether he’s lucky in his choices or not. The participants all nearly upstage him at certain moments, and often in ways he does not appear to expect. But he never seems overly nonplussed, and happily carries on without allowing the show to lag for long or escape his control.
An hour and a half is a long spell for a comedian to keep an audience entertained, especially at the Fringe where schedules are packed and there is much on offer, but Carr has the technique, poise, and simple star power to pull it off.
4 stars
