Started comedy in 2005

Paul Ricketts: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Just The Tonic at The Caves

Paul Ricketts is a cool man - he has the hat, the beard, and the jokes. Confident in his delivery, the set is mainly anecdotes and musings on life told in an engaging conversational style. This is an older brand of comedy; a point made clear by a parody of the younger generation of comics, complete with skinny jeans.

The show opens with a wry joke about the constant disputes between the free and paid/alternative and mainstream fringes, told with a sense of weariness which culminates in resignation when it turns out not a single audience member found the show via flyering.

This is old-school pure comedy, free of gimmicks or life lessons and instead focusing on great gags and knockout punchlines. At one point he relates an anecdote where a promoter told him ‘being funny isn't enough’, but luckily in this case it absolutely is.

There's a lot of politically driven material, focusing on the riots and social change - with a fantastic audience-participation re-enactment of the Leveson inquiry. There's also segments on race, consumerism, and growing up. Nobody would describe the subject choices as groundbreaking, and it's not especially clever – but then again that seems to be the point.

This comedic ideological stance is simultaneously the greatest strength and weakness of the show. It's admirable to stick to good old-fashioned comedy in the purest sense, but it also means there's no running narrative or things to ponder once the lights go up. It's definitely great for a change, but there's a reason comedy has evolved past this and you wouldn't want every set to follow this path.

Proceedings end on a darker note, with Ricketts detailing a story from the days when he worked in a warehouse: involving a homophobic assault on a worker. It's told emotively, with fantastic voice work, and ends with a big punchline. It's a fitting ending, acting as the ultimate example of how comedy can be found in any situation without the need for big ideas or set pieces.

Paul opened a gig for me in rural Wiltshire and got the show off to a storming start. Great stage presence with plenty of funny gags and stories. Was lucky to get him to open as I'm sure he's closing more and more venues, wouldn't hesitate to book him for, pretty much, any gig as I can't imagine an audience that wouldn't laugh at him. He's a funny man, book him while you can.

Tony Cowards, December 2011

One of my favourite comedians to work with on the circuit. We slipped Paul on as a last-minute substitution on the Thursday just gone and he was absolutely outstanding. So good in fact, we had several people complimenting us on his set and asking afterwards: 'Who was that guy?'

Sean Brightman, March 2011

Paul has a naturally winning personality and great material - I must have seen him perform 15 times and Ive never seen him have a bad gig. This guy's going all the way

Adam Preston, March 2011

I just got back from his Durham compering He was great - composed, clever, likeable. Good luck to him.

Kate Augarde, January 2011

I saw paul at Mackies this Thursday. He was really calm & collected, even though the audience were slightly drunk, rude & loud. Well done mate.

Julius Abraham, December 2009

I saw Paul Ricketts in Soho and he was by far the funniest and professional comic on the bill. I was impressed by his material which wasn't the usual stuff I've heard from black comics

Andy Flook, December 2009

I just saw this act. Absolutely brilliant! He was slick, funny and had the room eating out of his hand.

John Hunter, February 2009

I've gigged with Paul several times this year and his relaxed and cofident style, has allowed him to get big laughs out of the hardest audiences. Great storyteller and great comic.

Don Biswas, December 2008