Needless to say, the selling point of Nathan Roberts’ show is its title which promises an hour of ruthless satire. What the audience had come to see was the ripping out of the beating heart of slacktivism – the feel-good-do-nothing phenomenon that is the TED Talk. Unfortunately, A TED* Talk with Clay JW Crowne doesn’t quite succeed in scratching that satirical itch.
Though clearly attempting to follow in the footsteps of titans of nerd-dom such as Richard Ayoade, Roberts’ awkwardness seems more genuine than put-on
Roberts is gangly, bespectacled and trendily moustachioed and fashions himself as a TED booker’s worst nightmare: uncharismatic, shy and nerdy, but not in a trendy or marketable way. It’s mumblecore in quite a literal sense – Roberts’ tendency to eat his words underselling his material. Yet the material itself is often problematic: the so-called “TED talks” around which the set is structured are not so much talks satirising the TED style, but rather anecdotes with a moral tacked-on. These anecdotes are redeemed by bursts of wit, but for the most part are rambling and non-directional, leaving us wanting something more closely resembling a TED talk.
Though clearly attempting to follow in the footsteps of titans of nerd-dom such as Richard Ayoade, Roberts’ awkwardness seems more genuine than put-on. This is particularly apparent in the asides and disclaimers which punctuate the performance, particularly in Roberts’ repeated allusions to the show’s corporate sponsorship. Roberts bravely attempts to milk the inappropriate brand association for all of its comedic worth, but it inevitably ends up being a distracting and unwelcome addition to the show.
All in all, it seems that Roberts would do well to take a leaf out of TED’s book. Although his humour was quirky and winning, it was strained through a nervousness that made for misremembered jokes, mistimed technical cues, and an audience somewhat ill at ease. There’s no question that Roberts has a great mind for comedy; but the problem, ironically, is one of presentation.
