If truth be told the first half was fairly flat at times. I was pretty sure the winner might emerge in the second half and when Larry Dean walked out I was so confident he would win I actually started writing a news story announcing it. I’ve already seen his full show and this excerpt was a succinct showcase of his talents as a stand-up. Like fellow Glaswegian Kevin Bridges Dean just has that way of telling a story and keeping the audience hooked. He also does a very good fake English accent, which is also a bit like Bridges, but that is not to take away from Dean’s clear star quality. The judges voted him the winner and I totally agreed.
Although I did rather warm to newcomers Flo and Joan, musical siblings who had almost no stagecraft but delivered two wonderfully funny songs. The first was a list song about the things it is alright not to do, from not answer the phone to not watch Game of Thrones. The second was an eco-anthem about saving bees. There was a hint of early Tim Minchin here, maybe even Flight of the Conchords. While they weren’t placed it would have been nice if they had had some encouragement from the judges as they appeared a lot less experienced than many of the acts.
Next up was Anglo-French comic Eric Lampaert who was in a good position to discuss Brexit, but mostly preferred to keep the mood light, explaining that his dad was a jockey but his mum was a…horse. It was an old gag but given a decent enough twist to feel fresh. He also had a good take on national emblems, joking that France must have been at the back of the queue when they were being handed out to end up with a cock. Lampaert is married to an American who is slightly older than him so he also got a few laughs out of describing her as a cougar, aided but some pictures of her as a…cougar. Another obvious gag but one that worked.
Comedy fans should already know Pippa Evans for her previous solo shows and her improvised work with Showstopper The Musical. After a faltering start she hit paydirt with a song about her thwarted musical ambitions. There are some parts she feels she will never be chosen to play - such as Fagin - and made a passionate please for more imaginative casting. It was a very good comic song which the crowd certainly loved.
And last but by no means least was the very loud Australian John Robertson who certainly looked like a star in his long flowing white hair and black undertakery outfit. Whether it was nerves, dodgy preparation or simply the kind of act he does these days Robertson - known for his interactive Dark Room shows - couldn’t seem to get any momentum going, running up the aisle, doing an admittedly very funny Rik Mayall impression and generally getting distracted whenever it looked like he was getting interesting on a particular topic. I’d like to give him a better review, if only because he namechecked me in his set, but when his final Rolf Harris-related punchline came it wasn’t quite worth the lengthy wait. Robertson certainly provided a memorable finish to a long show, but maybe not for the right reasons.
