Performing stand-up comedy to a handful of people in a sweaty room in Camden probably isn't anyone's ideal way to spend a warm evening. Most, I'm sure, would rather be in the pub with their mates.
Lucky then for Amadeus Martin that he can combine the two, with a show that feels very much like your funniest friend holding court down the local. His relaxed and chatty style makes for very easy watching and his informal delivery was particularly sorted to this hodge-podge of a show.
It's presented from the start as something of a work in progress, and was, if we're honest, a little loose at times. There was a through line of quirky observational comedy leading to the benefits of having a sideways take on the world, but the various parts didn’t completely flow.
Which isn’t to say it wasn’t funny! Don’t expect surrealism as a mainstay of the comedy, but the typical tone is one of cheeky insults, clever observations and amusing stories. Throw in some accents and assured banter with the crowd and you have a pretty standard but very smooth hour of laughs.
Themes of racism and class figured prominently but where all parties were open to mockery and nothing was sacred. The honesty was refreshing and the laughs more genuine for it. Never afraid to use himself as the butt of a joke (at one point literally, performing for several minutes at half-moon), the atmosphere was relaxed, helping the audience feel comfortable, whoever they were, and go with flow, taking the work in progress sections as they came.
'Keeping it Surreal' is a show that’s already very funny and is only going to get better with fuller crowds and the inevitable extra polish.