To the sweet melodies of "I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" Ricky Grover took to
the stage as "Bulla" for a minute or so of bounding around the stage shadow
boxing like a rabid pitbull, pausing occasionaly to stare meanacingly at the
audience.
The cockney-hardman alter ego, known to fans of Channel 4's "11 o'clock
Show", is a genuinely menacing persona, and much of the act depends on
it. Despite this there is a definate endearing quality to the character,
as long as he's on your side!
Some of the material, in itself, was a little weak and done-before, like
picking out the vegetarians because they are the ones who look so weak, but the
stage presence, relaxed style, and some extremely strong material, more
than makes up for it.
But Bulla was at his best on a tangent, the highlight of his
set being an impromptu tale of his love for midgets and the activities with
which he indulges it.
His set was the first set, of the first show, on the first night of the first
ever York comedy festival, and he was covering, at short notice, for
Iranian comic come international movie star Omid Djalili. So... no
pressure then? He certainly made it look that way!
(York Grand Opera House - Moday
23/06/2003 - York Comedy Festival Launch Event. Click here for more
details on the 2003 York Comedy Festival
)
