Supercharged kinetic comedy is what Noel Fielding is all about, and tonight is no different, when it eventually starts. Once the riddle of the missing microphone has been unravelled we are blasted with a kind of free association monologue that’s driven by Eddie Murphy with Bruce Forsyth as a backseat driver. The show continues in the form of an uneasy amalgamation of comedy and pantomime that unfortunately does not translate well. The punch-lines are weak and poorly delivered, and simply drift off before you can grab them. There is obviously some inspired thinking behind the material, but it simply lacks weight.
Obviously, Noel Fielding is a funny man. The pre-show incident with the microphone was hilarious and showed spark. His verbatim stage material is possibly detracting from an act which has much potential. Fielding’s various alter-egos are by far the strongest part of his act and some show real imagination and wit. The shadow-bumming wolf being the strongest.
The small sections of animation in the show are a nice touch and are entertaining in a ‘watch-this-while-I-change’ sort of way. There is a great deal of carefully considered material here, but it is such a shame that it falls short of target. It seems that, on this night in particular, the shadow bumming wolf has stolen Fielding’s mojo.
2/5
Steven Carey
