Shaggers brought a different take on sex for this year's fringe festival. One compère, four comedians, all talking about sex in a late night slot at The Walrus in Brighton.
Shaggers had a good concept for a late night show and would recommend it
It was your standard standup comedy format and held promise when upbeat compère Nick Coppin began the proceedings with his cheeky wit and directness in calling out any audience members that interested him - such as those who scared him by deliberately sitting in the front row, came in late, or didn't get the type of show it was. Coppin's presentation as a compère was not only engaging to watch, but the way he made sure we all felt comfortable as the hour progressed was well noted and appreciated. Not many comedians in the role of compère seem to go out of their way to really interact with the audience and establish a good relationship from the word go, so this was a pleasant change.
However, Shaggers in this kind of format (as do many standup shows) ran the risk of things either going really well, or downhill depending on the type of comedians they get for the night. On this occasion, only one comedienne stood out from everyone and the others seemed to resonate more with those in the audience who had a similar sense of humour to them, or fell completely flat in terms of energy which affected their delivery. Also, although this show is focusing more on sex, most of the line-up seemed to either shy away from it, hint at it, or didn't seem to make the most of this topic. It may well be that on this occasion, that the type of audience they had may not have helped them as much. Yes they laughed, but the reactions were mixed, albeit positive reactions to the material presented to them.
The line-up had Dan Fardell, LJ DA FUNK, Aisha Amanduri and Yulia Pylyavskaya on offer the night I went.
The comedienne that stood out for me personally was Yulia Pylyavskaya. Her comedy was not only very honest and energetic, but seemed to be the only one who made the most of the topic of sex and gave Shaggers the standard it deserved. She not only took us on an emotional journey into her sexual past, but delivered a very intriguing picture of her vagina that made us cry with laughter, as well as evoked a lot of empathy as she shared her views on sex. I wanted more and would strongly recommend looking out for her in the future.
Shaggers had a good concept for a late night show and would recommend it, but might suggest that the comedy on offer is definitely not for those who feel uncomfortable talking about sex in general. So if you enjoy experimental, honest comedy, with comedians that change the energy each time, this is one for you.
