Despite his onstage charm, Marlon Davis could have done more to cover up for a set that contained predominantly weak material. There were certainly stories that provided some amusement, but a lack of subtlety and craft undermined his comic intentions.
A reminiscence about how he met his girlfriend was sweet enough, but I’d heard it before.
Taking us through his life, Davis’s performance needed an injection of energy to really propel the audience back to his upbringing on a council estate. There were the usual subjects covered involving childhood bullies, the local oddball and having kids, but, in reality, his narrative didn’t have enough to it to inspire significant levels of interest or laughs.
There were moments when he showed a more perceptive side; observations on racism in comedy were amusing, but these moments were few and far between. A reminiscence about how he met his girlfriend was sweet enough, but I’d heard it before and it seemed like he had watered down the story in order to fit it into the show.
There is no doubt that Marlon Davis has enough likeability to be a successful comedian, but at present he needs to work on what he has to talk about. Otherwise, we’re left with another act telling the same generic stuff that’s been told a thousand times before.
