All of these comics show potential but the overall momentum of it ebbs and flows.
The MC for the evening, Jamie Oliphant, is a charming, giddy and fresh faced comic. Although he’s a likeable presence his audience interaction was stilted and predictable. Obviously the MC at these kind of events has the hardest job. They don’t really have time to do bits of their own set, they have to warm the audience up, they have to keep time and the rest of it. Oliphant doesn’t quite pull the job off, but I would like to see him do more of his own material as there was enough potential in his bits to suggest he has more to offer.
Next up was Athena who was gradually able to pick up some energy in the room, but only gradually. There are good moments in her set but these come slow and far between. Her audience interaction however was quite strong.
The highlight of the evening was a well-spoken punk, Tom Appleton, whose material was consistently strong. He balances middle class self-deprecation with the anarcho-punk sensibilities he so desperately wishes to embody, in a witty, endearing way. This guy deserves to go far.
Archie Maddocks set was the slickest and most professional of the night. His material goes over old, well-worn themes (the oddity of being black but having an English accent) but the jokes that he manages to squeeze out of them are surprisingly fresh and original. Also, he has a terrifically clever bit on sexual politics that manages to avoid all the clichés and a find a new comic angle on the topic.
All of these comics show potential but the overall momentum of it ebbs and flows.
