Having recently lost his best friend to unforeseen circumstances, Jim Smallman is on a mission to find a new number one pal. Those who remember his gritty Tatooligan show of last year will perhaps be surprised. Smallman is being nice, heck kind, giving out sweets to the audience as they filter in. Gone are the dark confessions of his past, now he has turned a new leaf; he wants us all to be mates.
Let’s Be Friends takes its audience through the important characters of Smallman’s life, including a budget flip chart presentation of all those he wishes were still his friends. In the hour we learn of his obsession with Lana del Rey and Dean Gaffney and why he hates London. He celebrates the greatness of humankind through his stories of a policeman, a doctor, a vicar and Tom. He even reveals the true difference between men and women, which is shocking. It’s doubtful everyone could get away with this topic. It’s quite refreshing to watch stand up that makes no attempt to pick on the audience or be outlandishly controversial. Watching Smallman is like hanging out with a mate, the kind we might meet up with because it involves minimal effort on our parts but is always entertaining.
It’s funny - there are some moments of great comedy, especially the emotional finale. As suspected, however, this new ‘nice’ approach doesn’t make us wet ourselves with laughter. I left wanting to be his pal, sure. I also left wanting to give him more stars just because I liked him as a person. However, I would have preferred leaving with an embarrassing situation on my hands because I had laughed harder.
