Musical comedy is a difficult genre of comedy to do well, not only because of the addition of an instrument, but the fact that the jokes have to be succinct and the comedian themselves needs to be able to maintain and build on a gag. In Don’t Hold Back, Matty Hutson showcases his aptitude for the form with tongue in cheek and humorous lyrics as he rolls out gag after gag in the form of song.
A very creative and original lyricist
This show is a shining example of his musical talent and creative ability as he exaggerates and builds the momentum on quite ordinary situations and feelings, but adds his own unique twist. One of the funniest parts of the show is his crafted responses from the point of view of women from famous songs like [Hey There] Delilah, Stacey’s Mom and Lucy [In The Sky With Diamonds]. In this way, he adds a realistic lens to these figures that have been put on pedestals and overly romanticised, showing their perspectives and centring them by giving them a voice. Audience participation is not a central part of Hutson’s show, but it definitely plays a large role. Using auto-tuned responses that are always guaranteed to receive a laugh whilst deprecating an audience member, it goes to show how tuned into comedy interactions Hutson is.
Hutson is a very creative and original lyricist who presents unusual scenarios within his songs that are tempered by a passive protagonist who is caught and unsure of what to do in the scenarios themselves. Don't Hold Back is a fun show where Hutson explores and stretches his creative and comedic capabilities to create a ridiculous set of scenarios that we can’t help but enjoy.
