Alexis Dubus opened his show by telling us that what we were going to watch was a stand up comedy act that is built around a storytelling structure. He then leant in and whispers, ‘That means it doesn’t all have to be funny.’ He was right about that. Despite this, Dubus’ infectious energy, gentle humour and engaging storytelling makes for an entertaining hour of personal anecdotes from his life based around two things he claims he still knows little about: cars and girls. He likes them red but isn’t always successful in his escapades.
The show consists of an interesting tour through Dubus’ years of travelling around the world in his twenties, getting into sticky situations with unreliable automobiles and equally unreliable females. The show is a heart warmer as well as a good laugh and everyone in the audience can relate to parts of it.
Dubus has a very sincere and likeable style for delivering his stories. His vivid descriptions of the bizarre characters he has come across are thoroughly amusing and hold the attention of the audience throughout. The the balance between stories and comedy was just right.
There were moments of the show, however, where Dubus stumbled or slowed with his stories, meaning the show lost pace and sometimes direction. At points he aimed straight for a punchline, making them far too obvious. This was a shame as it made some of the show come across as quite rehearsed when most of his delivery seemed very natural.
Minus these slips, the show was thoroughly enjoyable and I left with a smile on my face. From darker themes of London muggings and stabbings to tales of finding love on your doorstep, the show offers something for everybody.
