I don’t know exactly how many German comics there are on the circuit but, as Christian Schulte-Loh points out, such is their rarity that he has managed to secure both the germancomedian.com domain name and the @GermanComedian Twitter handle.
the 50 foot comedian brings with him an uncomplicated observational style, all from the perspective of a German living in Britain
Returning for the fifth time for the Fringe, the 50 foot comedian brings with him an uncomplicated observational style, all from the perspective of a German living in Britain. He has an easy-going, affable manner, opening the gig with a survey of the various nationalities making up the audience. He doesn’t try to be too clever during the exchanges, with familiar generalisations (Scots are cheap, Germans are humourless, Greeks wrecked the euro (with help from their Irish friends), etc) providing most of the punchlines. Though a bit predictable, it’s all in good fun and Schulte-Loh has decent material for each nationality he encounters. And, as you might expect, he always has the fallback of veiled World War II reference.
Once the initial pleasantries are over, he goes on with a series of short anecdotes from his career as a stand-up on the road, and some reflections on differences across various cultures. Though not the best storyteller in the world (he rushes to the punchline a few times, when a bit more detail or exposition along the way could bring more of a pay-off), he keeps the gags coming, and there are a few cleverly worked callbacks.
Considering it’s part of the Free Fringe, you could do a lot worse than spend 50 minutes in the company of this comic. It’s not ground-breaking stuff by any means but worth a look if you like your comedy cheery (and your comics tall).
