An exciting event to be privy to.
Mageean himself opens the show with a bang, producing the most confident set of the bunch. In an extended riff I’m sure a lot of Fringe performers will appreciate, the host gets meta and discusses the lengths he’s gone to to get people in to see the show. Mix this with some musings on the underused comedy target that is Oswald Mosley and a twee ukelele number called “Have a Baby With Me” and you a have a comedian who’s clearly figuring out what works best for him. Luckily he’s pretty great at it all. This is largely because, like all great stand ups, Mageean’s conversational style feels totally natural.
Tash Goldstone took to the stage next, proving herself to be one to watch. She’s has a loud and busy style of performing, but manages to avoid coming across as obnoxious. She has an inquisitive personality, looking at mundane issues and forcing them in contexts which are less than so. The highlight of her set comes as she discusses how she practices dancing in front of her bedroom mirror, leading to an extended scenario set in the household of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Goldstone’s stand-up feels like its broaching on something quite unique.
The following two performers were both relative newcomers to the scene. Scottish comedian Currer Ball had fun with his imposing presence, throwing out one-liners like they were going out of fashion and finding mixed success. Saskia Preston had the vibe of someone who was slightly ill-prepared. Working through a self-confessed hangover, she offered decent material, but it is her aloof style that really makes her intriguing.
The “headline” act of the evening was Tom Ward, who has seen success supporting the likes of Rich Fulcher and Simon Munnery. His brand of highly-improvised alternative comedy always had the audience curious of what was going to happen next. There’s not much of a narrative to his stand up as his moves from topic to topic are punctuated by silence. Ward was the strongest performer in terms of inventiveness however, with his personification of boiling water slaying the crowd. There was an undercurrent of darkness to his set, with references to dysfunctional family slipping themselves into the most unusual places.
Three Shot Mockery was an exciting event to be privy to. Time will tell but it seems like the future of stand up is likely in safe hands.
