The Edinburgh Fringe is a nightmarish, unedifying and contorted mess comprising thousands of comedy shows, theatre pieces and people yelling at you in the street. Last year alone, there were 84,000 performances of Blasted by Sarah Kane.
And like standing saucer-eyed at Starbucks, permaglazed by the unending variations of Chocolate Cappu-Lattoccino-moccha-frappes, you can be forgiven for your “rabbit in the headlights” approach to choosing a show to see. There are more events on offer than one could see in eight lifetimes with infinity dollars. Fortunately Gerry Howell’s Incubation Hour is one of them in 2009.
Now, full disclosure demands I admit that I know Gerry from Uni days. I also should probably admit to HIM that I once stole a really nice DVD from his room before super-gluing the door shut from the inside and telling all and sundry that “actually I live here now.” But I’m getting off the point. And inventing crimes. To look cool. Which I don’t.
Despite knowing Gerry (vaguely, it has to be said – if there’s ever a biography, I won’t be in it,) I had never seen any of his stand-up. Gerry was a playwright to me, and the only one I ever saw was a smart little number called Fiona off the Hook – one of the rare “student comedy” pieces that deserved to be shown.
But at The Hen and Chickens in Islington on Weds 17th June 2009, I finally got to see what Gerry’s stand-up is like. And describing it is a little tricky, for all the right reasons.
The Guardian did Howell a little bit of a disservice by calling him “A Young Eddie Izzard” – Izzard’s one of those comedians whom one can only come off badly against if compared even in the most glowing terms, as the Guardian has here. And while it’s true, there is one joke in french, plenty of stuttering and Howell’s attention is deliberately refocussed on different audience members throughout like Izzard, the overall style doesn’t really bring to mind the Great Izz.
It’s more of what a show would be like if a mixed media comedy show’s projector, video display and sound gear had been stolen, and the performer had only words at its disposal. In addition to regular “at the audience” stand-up, there is a duologue acted out by only Howell alone, jumping across the room in a manner reminiscent of Tommy Cooper’s Romeo and Juliet sketch, there are whacky Mitch Hedberg-esque and Demetri Martin style one-liners, and tangents aplenty.
If you see Gerry at the Fringe, watch out for a wonderfully observed piece on King Harold and 1066 – a real gem in his routine – if he doesn’t do it, request it at the end.
He’s gonna hate me for encouraging his audience to yell out, but it matters not – the piece is worth it.
Gerry Howell’s Incubation Hour is on Facebook, detailing upcoming events on London and at the Edinburgh Fringe. And if that weren’t enough, the bastard’s even supporting Stewart Lee and Richared Herring in July.
