At the risk of sounding completely unprofessional, I would like to summate that Charlie Baker's new stand up show Freshly Baked is ‘alright.’
Baker's wide eyed, energetic approach to stand up didn't really strike a chord with the 7.15pm Edinburgh crowd. Most jokes were met with subdued titters at the most. Granted, a few well formed gags helped the auditorium to erupt in laughter; but more often than not we were left straight faced.
A facet that didn't help Baker's show usually came when a joke nose dived: he would laugh at it himself, a cardinal sin for any stand up comic. This alienated the audience further distancing himself from the laughs he so desperately desired.
Contrary to this, there were moments of genius in this homegrown Devonshire show. I loved his brass band impression and stories about his wife and school days were easily relatable. There was also a plethora of jokes on display - puns, wit and clowning all form part of Baker’s act, a figurative rainbow of comedic talent . This talent, however, was never exhibited in the right way to coax belly laughs from the audience, each style energetically executed and apathetically received. Something just didn't quite click.
Annoyingly, all of the jokes in the show were called back for a giant final gag that fell flat. The last punch line felt predictable and was an apt anti-climactic conclusion to the show.
Baker’s show feels lacking in verve and this leads to prolonged moments of silence in the audience. Although it is a funny show with moments that every onlooker can relate to, the show feels more stale than Freshly Baked.
