Aidan Goatley is not jealous of Romesh Ranganathan. He’s not jealous of Romesh’s fame, his money, or his success as a stand-up comedian. Honest. Well, maybe he’s a little bit jealous. After all, Romesh has his dulcet tones light up Radio 4 whilst Goatley is forced to confront some of the sketchier customers entering Brighton’s London Road branch of Poundland.
Full of funny everyday anecdotes
Throughout Tenacious, Goatley takes us through what it’s like to be a comedian who’s almost made it. A comedian who has rubbed shoulders with the country’s premier talent, and got a big booking from cruise liner. But also a comedian who has had to move to Middlesbrough. Goatley quickly builds rapport with the audience by making jokes about his lack of tech support and need of Lemsip, and starts with reassuring everyone that he’s not the kind of comedian to start picking on people. Certainly, in a mid-sized room at Zoo he can’t afford to not have the audience relaxed and ready to laugh.
Goatley might not be regularly gracing Radio 4, but he is still experienced enough to know how to work an audience. The rest of the set is full of funny everyday anecdotes, such as tales from his previous job as Manager of Poundland in Brighton. Carol, if you’re reading, I can’t confirm that these stories are true, but as a frequenter of London Road in Brighton I can confirm that it’s possible.
Goatley performs a friendly, personable kind of comedy. He prides himself in not looking particularly alpha (despite the biker gear and sleeve tattoos), at least when he has his round glasses on. Goatley might be Mr. Nice Guy, but there’s still a frustrated uncurrent runs throughout Tenacious. He gets kicked out of Specsavers. He rails against Middlesbrough. He slams wolf print fleeces. This unexpected edge stops his material from getting boring, but it doesn’t stop him offering up an uplifting ending. After all, we all need a happy ending – here’s hoping that one day Radio 4 gives Goatley his.
