On pub nicknames

At the 2012 Leicester Comedy Festival preview

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Chris McCausland: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Pleasance Courtyard

This is mild mannered, cosy, and insufferably boring. McCausland is likeable, but he has a self-confessed lack of stage presence. The rhythm wasn't there even if a lot of ideas and potential were.

The set started with a segment about successive failed school nativities, each of relied on visualising increasingly awkward moments. The stories were of the funny childhood nostalgia variety, but delivered with all the energy of a paraplegic sloth.

The set was sluggish, unbearably so, like watching chronic fatigue sufferer run the marathon. Time slowed down and I started to forget life before the show. Then came a 25 minute rant about the Paralympics being effectively pointless. McCasuland, who is blind, made a good argument, and then made it again, and again, and then a weaker variation on the same theme. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The never-ending rehash, like a softly-spoken broken record on loop, may have been therapeutic self-justification, or maybe he didn't think the audience were invested in the premise. We weren't, but it was less a lack of understanding and more abject apathy as the set slowly slid into a ditch.

Heartfelt musings on social issues are perfectly fine if they're wrapped up in jokes; going several minutes without any is in danger of no longer being comedy. Having five audience members leave in as many minutes, with those remaining nodding in solidarity, is a near-fatal blow to this kind of performance.

There was potential for an tour-de-force of original material about false sympathy for the disabled, showbiz box-ticking, and harsh truths about the nature of ambition. Instead, we get a sinking ship of  repetitive rants that leave you exhausted.

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A relaxed and assured performer. Very very funny and really entertaining. Had the audience in the palm of his hand.

Stan, January 2007

Really brilliant comic. His material is excellent and his timing fantastic.

Ben Williams, October 2005

Gets away with weak material because of his disability. Seems like a nice bloke but no real talent.

Lana, May 2005

Chris is one of the most refreshing comics around - nothing groundbreaking or startlingly original, but really, really funny.

Kraftwerk, November 2004

His ability to adapt to his surroundings and perform very funny new material is really impressive. Great guy, great entertainer, go see him soon.

[Anon], October 2004

Great material, and excellent stage presence, you probably wouldn't have guessed he was blind from watching him.

Bob Davenish, August 2004

Excellent stuff. Really enjoyed the short bit I saw at the Laughing Horse competition.

Jug, March 2004

Had the pleasure of watching Chris in the Laughing Horse final, a storming set and can count himself very unlucky to only come second. A sure star for the future.

Neil Churchill, March 2004

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