There are few comedians out there on the circuit currently of whom I would say I am a huge fan; and normally my comedy leanings go far more towards clever punnery and wordplay, and so it may come as a surprise to those who know me to learn that I am indeed a huge fan of the disordered and scatty brain-ramblings of Mr Ross Noble.
Ross Noble is indeed one of the country's foremost comedians whose style falls into the category "stream-of-consciousness". This, at least in Noble's case, is a rather apt description of his style. His brain works on several levels and several ideas all at the same time, and without filter, they all seem to come out at the same time, and amazingly, he even managed to return to his original point despite several detours and audience heckles. He is, according to his own intro, "the world's first all-inclusive comedian", which seeing him standing alone on one of the largest stages in Europe surrounded by disembodied monkey heads and blow-up vines seemed more than probable.
He is brilliant mime artiste, physical performer, and even gave us creditable impersonations of other comedians too. His style is manic, animated, and combines lots of different things, cramming them into his two hours on stage (he does not use a warm-up comedian). In fact, like Ken Dodd, one has the feeling that if there wasn't someone in the wings controlling his stage time, he would quite happily just keep on going, and we certainly would not stop him!
This evening's jobber jabber took us through such completely off-the-wall subjects as combining dry-stone walling with King Charles's rectum (!!), a talking Arabian hawk, ADHD ("has he ever thought of checking with the doctor to see if he suffers from it??"), and my favourite routine of the evening was his interpretation of Barack Obama sings the hits of Abba from inside a Perspex box...!
Dealing superbly wit some rather insistent heckles, and remembering all his call-backs, Noble is still at the top of his game, and is a tour-de-force which demands to be seen to be believed. It has been a long time since I laughed so much in a theatre, and it felt good.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 3.2.24
on - 3.2.24
Your review is at odds with several people who, like me, left the performance early. He just was not funny at all.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Just returned from his performance at Brighton Dome. We left at the interval. "Surreal"? "improvisational"? Not anymore. He was both of those things years ago. He was funny too, years ago.Sorry to be harsh but we paid for tickets. So dated and self commenting (look at me everyone I'm off on a tangent). We weren't the only ones who left; some didn't wait for the interval. Nothing controversial- just boring I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing him in Swansea 11/2/24,
ReplyDeleteHave previous tours on dvd ,I think he's as mad as a box of frogs!!! Personally I think his humour might be a bit not right, for a lot of "snowflakes" first time to see him LIVE ,really looking forward to it, making a night of it by staying in "pretty shitty city" roll on Sunday.
Watched Ross on several tours, still as brilliant as ever. People saying he's boring really don't have a clue. One think he can't be accused off is being boring. Watched him at this tour and loved it all.
ReplyDeleteYep, sadly have to agree with the first 2 comments. Went to see him last night in Exeter, went home at the interval...
ReplyDeleteJudging by the somewhat muted responses from others in the audience, I'll wager we weren't the only ones either. He was so, so funny when we last saw him a year or two ago but not any more. That was £80 wasted. Are all these 'professional' reviewers really on the same planet as us??
Agree with others. Saw him last night in Liverpool. There were moderately funny moments but mostly not that funny at all. All felt a bit purile. Worst for me was making a big joke of the King’s cancer, that crossed a line. Whatever you think of the Royal Family, cancer isn’t a laughing matter. We left at half time.
ReplyDeleteSaw him at Nottingham on Thursday 7 March 2024. Brilliant. If people are so easily offended don’t go. I’m sure Ross wouldn’t be bothered.
ReplyDeleteWatched him in Northampton last night 13th march absolutely brilliant belly laughs all the way through!! Those who left at the interval are obviously some of the snowflake era that unfortunately we live in !! Its comedy get a life
ReplyDeleteI have a fan of Ross for years and seen him many times he has given me some of the funniest nights of my life seen him in Brighton Canterbury St Albans some field a few years back the Viking funeral hilarious .saw him in Dorking a few years ago the laughs were few.Gave him the benefit of the doubt and saw him at Tunbridge wells couldn’t wait for him to turn around and make a dash out quick.Wont be seeing him again like I said was the best once no longer there for me
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