I vaguely remember 1984; it was the time I was adjusting to life in London after having moved from the West Highlands. Nothing, however, would have prepared me for the absurdist town of Llanbobel (a fictitious place made up to rhyme with something later in the show), which was where Gilbert’s mind has him trapped.
Coupling the naive card with a fantastic dead pan expression (punctuated only by a very mobile eyebrow), Gilbert warms us up with a little audience chat, a tale of EasyJet, which stands out from the usual ”they’re a bit shit aren’t they” variety, and finally a comment on the room that we are all quietly roasting in.
Away we go, with the aid of the calendar and his shaggy dog stories, he strolls us through the year he had. The constant strained tone in his voice, alongside his gentle Welsh accent, gives him a constantly put upon air. I had come expecting a story of bittersweet pain, what I got was a tale of a dysfunctional family within an already eccentric world. I am still confused today as to whether these are real stories dressed up to protect the innocent or whether he has fabricated this entire world. Either way it was an enjoyable hour, which was executed very deliberately and slickly.
Gilbert is without doubt a talented storyteller, even when his use of bad jokes makes you cringe, you trust there’ll be a left field angle coming your way fairly soon to release you from the feeling he just tells ”Dad Jokes”. To sum up he is easy, sharp and inventive. Thanks Rhod I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in your story oven.
4/5
Peter Rates
