Phil Kay is a little bit like Russian Roulette. Will you witness a well crafted and finely executed performance, or will you watch a comedian tediously milk an hour set with whatever springs to mind? Sadly, the spin of the gun's barrel was against me, and Kay delivered a chaotic mash up of garbage receiving only an awkward titter from the audience in response.
Which is a pity, since Kay himself is likeable and his audience responds optimistically to his energetic opening. Let's face it, when you buy a ticket for a named comedian, usually it's because you've heard of them and probably like their style. But even his celebrity could only tease shambolism out for 10 minutes until the crowd realise that Kay isn't bothering with a script and is just hoping something funny might pop up. Dangerous territory, because It didn't. And whilst he may have had some success with this modus operandi in the past, it wasn't working for him here tonight.
Things don't get any better when Kay promises an interval - the perfect opportunity to refuel on drink or make a quick exit! What a shame that moment never genuinely arrived.
Kay doesn't so much as deliver jokes or clever stories with a punchline, instead he merely vocalises whatever nonsense he is thinking about at that moment, which more often than not, just isn't very funny.
When the ending finally arrives Kay informed the audience 'That's the end, I don't have a better ending, I'm not joking', and he wasn't.
