From the outset, Brendan Riley goes to great lengths to make it clear that his show, Comedy Sushi, is ‘one big happy family’. It wasn’t necessary for you to grab that seat at the back: He’s not picking on anyone tonight. As a unit the crowd is encouraged to rehearse Brucey’s Bonus-style catchphrases for recurring points in the show (somewhat tragically) - listen to Riley with your eyes closed and you might well be hearing an impish, hyperactive Les Dennis as the new presenter of The Generation Game.
What sets Comedy Sushi aside from other comedy performances is the gimmick of having the audience choose the topics. Five minutes before the show, we’re presented with a ‘menu’ and invited to select a ‘starter’, ‘main course’ and ‘dessert’. Some of the courses (George Bush) are instantly more appetising than others (Lakes), although there’s a nagging certainty that Riley will have served up a dumper-truck’s worth of ‘Dogshit’ by the end of the month. There’s a double-effect here: Those who enjoyed the performance can return next time to some different material, and Riley himself is allowed some variation in what might otherwise become a sapping chore.
Sadly, stripping away this novelty value and a confident, likeable delivery, much of the actual material is pretty staple, and much of comedy blunt. Even the ruder parts of the show (Mirrorman) seem strangely safe, insipid, and even derivative. With the notable exception of ‘Dogshit’, there’s nothing wrong with this particular performance; merely it becomes clear after the first few courses that it’s going to take a little more in order for you to still be sniggering away into your Cheerios the next morning.
3/5
Daniel Kirby
