Australian Adam Hills has, over the last
few years, become somewhat of a "darling" of the UK comedy circuit and
within seconds of the start of his act you can see why. He comes across as one
of those people that charms just about everyone he meets; instantly
likeable and genuinely friendly.
Opening with some great observations on British culture
from an outsiders perspective he worked the crowd brilliantly and moved on to
an audience-participation based routine about the music that different
generations grew up with. It's potentially risky if the audience aren't up
for it, but with the aforementioned likability and charm I doubt that happens too
often.
As the show
continues he relaxes into a number of anecdotes and finishes talking about his artificial
foot. It's a subject that could easily not work, but Hills is
matter-of-fact enough about it to stop the comedy being replaced by sympathy and
the related stories, such as his dealings with airport customs, were a particular highlight.
After the gig one might find that the friendliness was more
memorable than some of the actual material, but there is no denying that for
every minute Adam Hills spent on stage he had the audience eating from the palm
of his hand.
Comedy Store - Leeds - 28/05/2004 - Headline
