Milo McCabe: Get Brown
Live Review

Seems like every comic’s got a chat show this Fringe; but Milo McCabe has given it the obvious twist for a character comedian – and become all the guests rather than the host.

There’s a lot of attention gone into giving Get Brown the genuine feel of a TV production. Will Sentence, who really works on the Jeremy Kyle Show, is called in to stage manage proceedings, while comic Maff Brown is our host, bringing the perfect blend of jolly but vapid to the role of a daytime anchor.

Warm-up guy is Philberto, the Portuguese comedian character McCabe’s long been performing on the comedy circuit – and who’s treated as poorly here as any genuine warm-up, never allowed to finish his jokes. But his crowd work is strong, surely honed over all those rowdy club nights, and he engenders a playful spirit in the room.

Brown’s first guest is Tyson Moon, the son of a Seventies Irish comedy legend now taking his dad’s act on the road. It goes unstated, but there’s an autobiographical connection here, as McCabe’s father Mike is an old-school Irish comic, who once won the New Faces TV talent hunt.

Unlike McCabe, who confidently inhabits all his creations, Moon is a nerdy, social misfit in ill-fitting plaid jacket who seems to sit somewhere on the autistic spectrum. He mangles the old gags, demonstrates the new-fangled surreal comedy that he hates – and hasn’t an internal censor to steer him clear of his father’s more racist material. It’s either a silly way of exploring how comedy has evolved, or the chance to spurn political correctness behind the mask of a character, depending on how you look at it – but the result is unmistakably funny.

And kudos to McCabe for genuinely taking Moon to the Comedy Store to face the bearpit of the King Gong with this dodgy, dated material.

Second up is Anthony Sixsmith, a ‘healing drummer’ or ‘bongo therapist’, curing bogus ailments of one carefully-selected audience member with the power of his beats. Mocking New Age mumbo-jumbo is a bit old hat, and this camp Scouser is probably the least interesting of the creations on display here, but still McCabe performs him with commitment and a wry sense of humour.

Finally, Aussie rules footballer turned art critic Nobbo Johnson, plugging his cultural TV show Mullet Musings. He has some fun with the clash of high art and low culture – it doesn’t take much to imagine how his no-nonsense coarseness addresses the topic of artistic symbolism, for example, but McCabe puts another nice twist on the idea.

All his characters interact with the audience, either directly or indirectly, meaning his show has an engaging energy beyond the straight presentation of one creation after the next. That they also interact with each oother, in some limited way, is an extra element while the supporting characters, Sentence especially, allow for some running jokes which gives this character collection a winning flourish.

Maff is awesome! I'm glad to see him now MC'ing outside of Kingston. Outside of the box is one of the best comedy nights there is.

James Williams, October 2011

There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance and "Maff" gets it wrong wrong wrong. Oh and he isn't funny! Waste of a tenner. avoid.

Abigail, April 2011

I have never seen a better comedian, and I have seen Andy Parsons. For his audience interaction, charisma, and hilarious name - well worth a watch.

TOM POW, January 2011

I think Maff Brown is a good example that running your own club and making contacts with better established acts can get you far with little talent. Agree with the other comments on here. He's boring and unfunny but he's obviously managed to sell and market himself well - hence the good gigs he somehow gets.

G, November 2010

More egotistical than funny. Seems to think he is better than you, which makes for uncomfortable viewing. I get the impression he's the "joker" amongst his friends, someone once told him he was funny, and he's taken it too far. I left irritated and in need of a good laugh. wouldn't recommend!

Pat, November 2010

Thought his show was boring. He seems to be a spoiled, rich kid chancing it. His nice guy exterior felt a little fake to me. But he'll probably do well in this business - much to serious comedy fans' annoyance.

Alan, October 2010

Terribly condescending to audience in Sevenoaks. Will be avoiding his live show as a consequence.

John, July 2010