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John Robertson: Arena Spectacular!

 
James W. Woe Review by James W. Woe 4 Published: 24 Aug 2016 The Stand Comedy Club 2 Show Dates: 4 Aug 2016-27 Aug 2016

John Robertson claims that comedy is a sick industry (and he should know). Nothing terrible has happened to him this year, so he wishes to bring a middle of the road arena show to the Fringe to broaden his appeal. The problem? He doesn’t know how to write friendly accessible comedy, all he knows is bondage and video games.

If you are looking for something anarchic and dark this show is sure to satisfy.

The show is seemingly unstructured madness, leaving him room to go on any tangent that crosses his mind. He’s got a great energy and jumps around the room and often adds a frisson of physical comedy to punctuate the end of a joke. There is plenty of audience interaction and sitting at the back certainly isn’t going to help you avoid it, infact your not safe anywhere. Although initially it appears aggressive it’s always good natured. It helps bring the room together as a cohesive unit and serves Robertson with plenty of material to bounce off.

The themes he’ll pick are usually going to be pretty dark and nothing seems too taboo for his humour. He attacks everything with an aggressive earnestness that ensures the topics avoid becoming nasty and unpleasant.

The shows builds up to a satisfying finale where everything gets tied up in a nice little bow, all done with a heavy sense of irony that ensures that it is satisfying but not mawkish.

If you are looking for something anarchic and dark this show is sure to satisfy. With a blend of high energy and witty repertoire John Robertson brings a show that is more satisfying than many of the arena tours you're likely to see, and it’s much cheaper too.

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The Blurb:

Dirty jokes! Nice suit! Sit near the front! It’s an arena show… in a 45-seater. In his sixth year at the Fringe, the Australian wild man and insult comic unleashes 60 minutes of whatever comes into his head. Get ready for a party, and everyone’s the pinata. 'Utterly unique' ***** (Skinny). **** (Scotsman). ***** (ThreeWeeks). **** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). **** (List). 'A splendid comedy beast' **** (Kate Copstick, Scotsman).