Danny James reminded me a bit of Jack Osborne (sorry if
I’ve offended either party there) in appearance only. Before he had even started
he was getting laughs by pulling a face that quite a few comedians adopt
nowadays. You know, the scary-eyes and a nervous side-ways smile that is
supposed purport that he’s a fish out of water, maybe even a little bit mad™.
Add to that a reluctance to immediately come to the mic and Lee Evans almost has
a litigious case.
This first ‘impression’ must have
just been a device as his material was a fairly standard delivery of ‘funny
things that have happened to me’ that are amusing enough but seem long on
exposition and short on any definitive punchline. In fact, he completely lost
the end of one lengthy set up by fumbling over his words trying add comedy with
a staccato delivery rather than allowing the joke to carry itself.
Any remaining credibility was
lost when James concluded, “Thanks Crawley, you’ve been an effort. Only joking.”
I don’t think he was.
Place on bill: 3rd
act
Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,Crawley
Date of show: 10th October
2004
