Place on bill: 2nd Act
Venue: Creased Up - The Hawth,
Crawley
Date of show: 8th September 2005
Most comedians will use a defining characteristic (if they have one) as the
starting point to their set - it's an icebreaker that should create an immediate
bond between performer and the audience. But it's also a two-edged sword because
where an accentuated feature can make for a few quick and easy gags it can also
be used as fuel for hecklers.
Matt Green seemingly brandishes this sword with reluctance but necessity. He
has to jump in and make light of the fact he looks like he's young enough to
still be sitting his GCSEs before some smartarse hijacks his act. So it is with
such irritated resignation that his opening lines don't have much punch but come
across more like he's reiterating a tired explanation. But like I said, this is
something he needs to get through so he can get on with his proper material.
So when he gets past that his act quickly gathers momentum and covers a
broader spectrum of his 'life' with deftness, confidence and, more importantly,
very funny results. His gesticulations and facial expression put me in mind of a
well spoken, Mr Bean love-child.
It was shame that no sooner had he got into the swing of his set then his
time was up. More gigs and more experience (and perhaps more facial hair) will
allow Green the chance to iron out those initial kinks and get into the meaty
stuff quicker.
