One has to admire Alexis Dubus' character of Marcel Lucont. He does everything, absolutely everything, at his own pace which is about a quarter of the speed of any other comedian. He practically personifies confidence and his cool, French manner conveys a sense that he does not care a jot what others think.
The variety was superb (and most certainly needed), spicing up his set with poems and songs.
His opening was wonderfully imagined, with subtle shadow work producing laughs before he had even opened his mouth. So much of Lucont's brilliance is in the delivery of the meticulous material, yet he began with general musings regarding the audience. Though he was at total ease throughout, I was left frustrated over how long it took to get started on his material. His improvisation is a strong element, but there was a whole section later in the show and so there was no need for the lengthy beginning.
Once he had begun his material he had the audience pretty much eating out of his hand. He focused on our nation of 'Great' Britain before turning his attention to Lucont's nation of France. His observations were fresh and faultlessly brought to life via his deadpan delivery.
The variety was superb (and most certainly needed), spicing up his set with poems and songs. His songs were accompanied by videos or pictures which was seamless with the content, yet the poems were not as strong or well received; one or two fell a little flat. Yet it was clear as day that Dubus has a way with words, he is naturally gifted, a quality that was present not only in his poetry but also some of his narratives.
Lucont, at times, elevates the set into a purer form of art. On two occasions he left the audience in utter silence to appreciate its beauty, a lovely touch. Yet all too often, especially during the opening, I was left with the impression that the facade went too far, possibly verging on self-indulgence. Lucont's persona of supreme confidence and assurance is central to his act, but I can't help but wonder if the performance would be enhanced if Dubus concentrated on Lucont's funniest attributes as opposed to descending into the superiority of the character and his worldly musings.
His unique air converted a Q&A session into hysterics, predominantly via embarrassing the audience members who had texted in some dirty questions. It is clear to see why he is drumming up a bit of a cult following, but it is one that I will not be subscribing to quite yet.
