After being asked to act like a gibbon, you really hope it is just a bad start to a good comedy act. But your hopes are shattered after Toby Caldwell’s physical comedy begins. His impressions of evolution have all been done before, including the use of Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (in English, Thus Spoke Zarathustra) for the transformation of ape into man. It is very much a been there, done that, I didn’t even buy the T-shirt, situation.
You can forgive his all too frequent mess ups with the audio equipment, but his facial expressions and body movements become repetitive. You are amused the first time around… after less than half an hour, not so much.
Salvation seems possible with the beginning of the second half of the show: some good old stand up comedy led by Joe Rowntree. But his hit and misses and somewhat less than memorable jokes make you wish you hadn’t been one of the last people to walk into the venue, for first row seats mean you are in for polite smiling and fake laughter against your will. You would even throw in a couple of standing ovations if that could get you out of there faster.
One good thing? Rowntree’s imitation of a mate’s “I got f***ing wasted the other night… sweeeeet” monologue. But then again, anyone can do a better impression.
1/5 
Azalea Gras-Velazquez
