Rhod Gilbert: The Cat that looked like Nicholas Lyndhurst: Venue Cymru: 24/02/10

Following on from his if.com (formerly Perrier Award) Edinburgh Fringe nominated show: Rhod Gilbert and the Award-winning Mince Pie, Rhod Gilbert brought his latest show to Venue Cymru, Llandudno.

The evening began with a support slot provided by Andrew Burns, a relatively unknown comedian who is yet to break into the higher echelons of sell out tours and TV shows. Burns’ routine was nothing spectacular; jokes about John Terry, the nature of being British, and his own home life. It was not the case that there was anything particularly wrong or un-funny about his material, but rather it felt as if it had all been said before far more succinctly by other comedians. Furthermore, it seemed that Burns himself was merely going through the motions, and that there was no real spark, no real charisma to his performance. Even his attempt at audience participation was unimaginative, with the audience’s reaction providing more laughs than the comedian’s own material. This is not to say that Burn’s set was wholly bereft of laughs: Burn’s anecdote of his first visit to his Slovakian - in -laws was the pinnacle in an otherwise lacklustre routine. Perhaps if the set had included more of a personal touch, with more of his own amusing anecdotes, rather than depending on run-of-the-mill comments on stale subjects, the performance would have improved markedly.

Rhod Gilbert came onto the stage to rapturous applause, and a sold out audience eagerly expecting an enjoyable evening. Gilbert’s star has risen dramatically in the last couple of years: presenting his own radio show, having his own series on BBC1, numerous sold out tours, and critically acclaimed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. Expectations for his shows therefore have also rapidly risen. The performance started with some great local material, as he ripped Llandudno to shreds for its reputation as a Mecca for pensioners. Although this type of material can appear lazy, trading as it does on stereotypes and clichés, Gilbert’s charm ensured that this was not the case.

Audience participation was deftly used to ensure that we felt a part of the show, rather than merely being spectators as Gilbert vented his spleen. Titbits from the audience throughout the performance, as well as the obligatory heckles, made sure that any lapses in momentum were kept to a minimum.

The first half of the act was a confident, successful performance, even if Gilbert did not begin the show’s actual material until half way through. However, a good third of the material was recycled, having been previously performed on Live at the Apollo, which spoilt the suspense of the pay off or punch line. I am fully aware that in these days when comedians are the mainstay of numerous TV panel shows, and an Edinburgh show is toured throughout the following year, material is often repeated, but this can be frustrating, and leave an audience feeling short changed.

The second half began well, but slowly disintegrated into a rather aimless, rambling set. The routine was not as well structured, and did not have a strong narrative compared to Gilbert’s previous shows. Rhod Gilbert’s reasoning that the title had no meaning, and the revelation later that a session with a hypnotist had shown that Gilbert did actually have a cat that looked like Nicholas Lyndhurst, was a step too far, and was totally incredulous. Not only was this part of the show unbelievable, more importantly it was not actually funny. The material was too self-indulgent; it seemed as if Gilbert was recounting his erratic behaviour for his own enjoyment, rather than for the audience’s entertainment.

Rhod Gilbert has made a name for himself for his angry, irrational outbursts, but perhaps it is time for him to expand and develop his act beyond these narrow boundaries. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with his dour, erratic personality, but at times it felt as if the anger was an over the top act, and not wholly convincing.

The end of the performance was completely aimless, with no direction whatsoever, and no sense of purpose. It was obvious that Gilbert had no idea what to do as he came on for his encore. As he returned to the stage, rather than perform any jokes, or engage in a question and answer with the audience, he simply stood on the stage asking the audience how to end the show.

Overall, the first half of the show was very good and very funny; however Gilbert lost his way in the second half and allowed the performance to slip through his fingers. As a whole, the performance was too long, confused and unclear, and ended up petering out to nothing.