The first time a comedian tries out an hours set it is a hugely nerve wracking experience, exposing weaknesses that can be hidden in a shorter performance.
The structure was an attempt to order the metaphors and political rants inherent in his style. It gave him some direction, but also clipped the wings of more engaging impromptu thoughts.
For Ade Foiadelli this was a step into the unknown, and for the first 10 to 15 minutes it felt it. Faced with an unsettled Friday night crowd, the beginning was lost on a distracted audience and Foiadelli was fighting to keep the focus for the rest of the show. After a brief exodus at the start, the audience began to embrace his comedy and as his nerves settled, his jokes increased in quality as his natural charisma and chatty delivery began to shine through.
The performance utilised surrealism, and his brand of anti-comedy was loosely based on human behaviour and communication. The show was structured around the story of five monkeys, who at the start are “electrocuted” for trying to get a banana. The jokes in the monkey scenario are related to the mindset of the “cage” and throughout the show we are given examples of how human behaviour is developed and how we function within society.
Often, it was when he went off on spontaneous tangents and strongly visual metaphors that the best material was found. The structure was an attempt to order the metaphors and political rants inherent in his style. It gave him some direction, but also clipped the wings of more engaging impromptu thoughts.
For a first attempt at an hour it is certainly a good start, and after some refinement I look forward to seeing it again.
