Matt Kirshen
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Matt Kirshen: Wide-eyed
For at least the second time this Fringe, Matt Kirshen is faced with a slightly rowdy drunken crowd. As he notes ‘you’re a strange one but nice’ unlike the last one where a exceptionally drunk guy ruined it for everyone. In comparison this lot are kittens. In fact one man who had to leave for a toilet break by crossing the front of the stage, brings Kirshen a can of lemonade as an apology.
Kirshen almost sounds a little disillusioned at first, a fringe veteran performing in another drippy cave and hiding behind a blackout curtain ‘like a shit Wizard of Oz’. But he soon hits his stride and where there are minor audience disruptions and distractions he's quick to rein it back in and get back on track.
Aptly enough, given the uncomfortable incident of the previous show, the theme of his latest work is embarrassment – having spent much of his life apparently cringing at pretty much everything he's done before.
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Having had some success in the US after appearing on the comedy talent show Last Comic Standing, he’s spent more time over there and thus had ample opportunity to scrutinise the differences between the two cultures. Our differing reactions to embarrassment being one aspect, an emotion Kirshen feels Americans ‘own’ with style - as the Neil Diamond impersonator he encounters in a lift in Vegas bears out.
It's not just a compare and contrast exercise though, as there are some considered, insightful observations and smart gags. Rather than knocking Americans for their lack of a passport as many comedians do he offers the hypothesis that it's because the country's so big, ‘would you have a passport if you could get to St Petersburg on your library card?’
He treads slightly surreal territory when the mood takes him too, in a running joke featuring Jesus, Hitler and Nick Griffin, who for no real reason speak in a ‘bad African-American man’s accent’. Nor is he afraid to incorporate a touch of the controversial, of Jesus' crucifixion he quips, ‘We won that one… that’s right, I'm Jewish’ all with that gleeful, permanent grin of his.
Assured and thoroughly entertaining stuff.
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Older Comments
Claire - 08/03/2020
He is fantastic and I think I have fallen in love with him. He is beautiful.
Mark - 30/10/2012
Very smug, no one found him as funny as he found himself. Also been using the same material for soooo long!
William Frost - 27/04/2010
Really good.
MOB - 10/10/2009
Terrible! you'd get better laughs out of a rock!
jg - 06/07/2009
Saw him tonight and slightly spoilt by sychophantic laughter from one or two audience members/friends. Some good material but lacked the charisma to carry it off.
Kev Clarke - 16/06/2009
Absolutely woeful last night in Derby
Chris - 03/06/2008
Saw last night at charity gig. Was one of the best performers on the bill and handled the most bizarre heckle amazingly!
Shona - 11/05/2008
Saw him last night, and he was truly woeful. Not as funny or as clever as he clearly thinks he is, and quite smug with it. Cannot handle hecklers at all, and totally lost it when he was heckled. If Last Comic Standing is the Pop Idol of the comedy world, I think we've found our Gareth Gates.
Cazza - 15/03/2007
Glad to see he's getting such good response. Saw him at Edinburgh in 06, he was possibly the most tired stand-up comic I've ever seen. I thought he might keel over at one point, but he was brilliantly funny nonetheless. Hope to see him again sometime.
Lansing - 10/09/2006
Saw him at the Chuckle Club last night. He's got really funny and intelligent material. I do however think he could refine his act a bit more.
FS - 27/06/2006
Doesn't use his youth in a stale and overdone way - it's fresh, it's funny and it's quite clever indeed.
Cazza - 15/03/2006
Absolutely brilliant - only act at the Comedy Store who made me laugh till my face hurt.
Leigh - 21/02/2006
Has possibly the best set I've seen. Very clever, very subtle jokes, and references to earlier jokes. Go and see him.
Scott - 19/12/2005
Absolutely brilliant
Baby Lucas - 12/12/2005
Saw Matt last week and thought he was going to nosedive after his first 30 seconds but couldnt have been more wrong. Audience interaction was as good as any seasoned comic I've seen. I just hope puberty doesnt affect his act.
Lizzie - 24/10/2005
A really, really funny comedian - is definitely worth going to see
Dan Garbutt - 17/10/2005
Seen Matt a couple of times now. He has some absolutely awesome material and his delivery is very good. could do with a little more confidence and my worry for him is that it'll hold him back. Relies on his physically young features for quite a few of his laughs. Could be very big though
LJH - 18/03/2005
Genius! Took a little while to settle but top class spontanaity when dealing with hecklers. in fact he encouraged more cos each time he got a laugh 'A very clever young man
Kevin - 05/02/2005
He was absolutely amazing when I saw him! Had some trouble with hecklers, but very striking material that will stick in your head for weeks and make you giggle everytime you think of it. He is going to be huge
Bashiz - 12/11/2004
This guy has bags of good material, a brilliant act with a stage persona which shouldn't work but does (which is to the credit of his material).
Sian - 02/08/2004
Saw him at the Comedy Revolution in Clapham - he was hilarious. I had jaw ache after five minutes.
Geoff Taylor - 30/07/2004
Very good indeed... never far away from a great line.
Mark - 13/07/2004
Nervous and not funny, failed to get many laughs from audience, could not handle hecklers, just as well there was other comedians on the same bill.
Jules - 23/04/2004
Fantastic, intelligent humour
AJ - 23/04/2004
Best comic I have seen in a long time, top marks.
Pete - 22/01/2004
I really didn't find him funny.His cockiness made me want to slap him.
Chris McCausland - 18/12/2003
Just brilliant
Bim - 11/12/2003
He's a very clever young man. Ahhhhh.
Danny Hurst - 03/06/2003
He might look young and fresh-faced, but you should see the state of the portrait in his attic.
Sarah Bennetto - 23/05/2003
Funny. And nice.
David Mills - 04/05/2003
I first saw him about two years ago and didn't think much, but have seen him a few times recently and he has come along leaps and bounds.
Daniel - 28/04/2003
Blimey - if he's this funny now, one can only guess how good he'll be once his balls drop
Lizzie - 17/04/2003
Have watched him just get funnier and funnier over the last year and a bit he's been gigging and think he is just so fantastic now
Mrjug - 16/03/2003
The funniest sperm I have seen. Arare talent and a delightful comic to boot
Reggie Dwight - 16/03/2003
The best young comic i've ever seen