David McIver is a refreshing breath of air in every sense. Charmingly mischievous and unique, he sets the bar high for any Fringe newcomer. His bizarre road less travelled of stand-up sees a spectrum of characters including a narcissistic Emperor and a glum maths teacher wielding a sexual abacus.
An upcoming young talent, laden with quirky tweaks to the pre-established stand-up formula.
Entering in a toga, he boldly greets his audience as ‘peasants’ and promptly fashions a horse out of two large men in the front row. His space is small but he uses it to his fullest advantage, and no member of the audience is safe.
McIver utilises not only his witty dramatic skills in his show, but heightens the diversity of the performance by producing a number of David Shrigley-esqe drawings on a flip chart. Wonderfully creative line cartoons twinned with McIver’s quick tongue provide a different kind of stand-up entertainment. He has a bold creative direction which is unapologetically abstract, winning the smiles of all his peasantry. It’s worth noting that he offers booklets of his drawings in exchange for donations; a worthwhile perk for any savvy spectator.
He is not afraid to break boundaries; the crass of removing the greater part of his outfit and straddling an unwitting member of the front row is forgotten through the persuasion of boyish cheek. McIver is able to sway even the most conservative of judges with a healthy balance of the crude and the witty in a complemented subtlety.
McIver is certainly one to watch as an upcoming young talent, laden with quirky tweaks to the pre-established stand-up formula. His material is fresh, and stands out against the monochrome masses of comedy acts at this year’s Festival with style.
