Sharply clad in a waistcoat and red trousers, or as he describes himself dressing like ‘a gay snooker player,’ Max Dickens certainly looks the part. His free show on at Cabaret Voltaire does not disappoint. In his one-hour stand up gig influenced by advice from his wise grandmother and a break up from a two-year relationship, Dickens guides us through anecdotes from his life.
Dickens is a charming and personable comedian. From the start of the show, the audience were ready for fun and laughs; he quickly established a great relationship with the crowd. One audience member was enjoying the show so much he popped out halfway through to purchase Dickens a pint from the bar mid-performance, to which Dickens responded, ‘That is genuinely the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.’
A highlight of the show was Dickens taking note of everyday occurrences that we can never quite get our head around, like why we wander into the kitchen and stare aimlessly into the fridge even when we’re not hungry and the decision that key cutters and cobblers would come under the same category and be placed under one roof. These basic questions had the audience in fits due to Dickens’ slick and dry delivery. His discussion of how we handle our alcohol was another delightful part of the show.
The show is interactive, original and fun. Some of his material isn’t as strong as the rest, but overall he delivers his lines with confidence and ease, making the audience feel completely relaxed. Whether or not his anecdotes were true, we sympathised with him, giggled at his misfortune but urged him to pick himself back up again. Despite starting the show with pretty tame material, it gets a little more racy as the show goes on and then ends on a rather uplifting note.
