On falling over at 43

From Drambuie Late Night Pursuits on November 27, 2008.

More Sean Hughes videos

Until recently, a sardonic team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Sean Hughes started his career as a stand-up comedian by becoming the youngest winner of The Perrier Award. Several sell out tours later and two series of Sean’s Show for Channel 4, Sean diversified into writing, presenting and acting. Recently co starring with Peter Davison in The Last Detective (ITV).

Sean Hughes: Life Becomes Noises: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Pleasance Courtyard

The ‘dead dad’ show has become such a cliché of comedy, that even mentioning it has become another cliché of comedy, so aware are all concerned that the terminal ending lends pathos and heartfelt meaning to an hour of ha-has.

Nonetheless, Sean Hughes’s contribution to the ever-expanding genre is a welcome one; a strong piece of stand-up storytelling with laughs hewn from his family life. He fears this Fringe audience might be depressed by the prospect of an hour about death. Au contraire, we are anticipating it. Less expected are the more jovial elements of the show.

The familiar, if necessary, dramatic elements are all present and correct. Hughes never communicated properly with his dad – a hard-drinking gambling man – and proved a disappointment to him when he chose a career in comedy. Hughes Sr had his heart set on his son becoming a jockey, as if Sean ever had the figure for it.

However, Hughes is more matter-of-fact about his father’s passing than some of his more emotional colleagues, and the end passes almost incidentally… though the smart Irishman knows how to manipulate feelings if needs be; it’s all in the soundtrack.

Instead, the hour is more an honest assessment of a dysfunctional father-son relationship. There’s also some mention of chain-smoking, dim-witted mum, another far-from sympathetic character – but that dynamic seems destined for another show.

As seen in therapy rooms everywhere, Hughes employs glove puppets to describe uncomfortable situations, with dream sequences and unrealistic suggestions adding a mordantly surreal edge. Elsewhere his pin-sharp commentary and often lyrical use of language add a touch of classy, literate humour to the story.

But it’s not so poignant he forgets the funny, and for a comic who’s more recent outings have sometimes wallowed in middle-aged self-pity, there is a lightness of touch here, even when the subjects are heavy, such as musings why untested ‘miracle’ cancer cures aren’t given to the terminally – though, perhaps,  like many a distraught relative, he places rather too much hope on the pseudo-science of newspaper headlines.

The production is slick, with a few unexpected elements to match the unexpected sly playfulness which he couples to the thoughtful subject matter. In short, this is something of a return to form for Hughes.

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Really disappointed with Sean Hughes. He really has seemed to have lost his energy, originality from when I last saw him after he had just won the Perrier. He often deviates to the crowd and the show never really gets going. It felt that he only really had half an hour's worth of material which he stretched out in between audience participation. The jokes that did come were stale and almost of a working men's club humour from the Seventies. I felt I was watching a young Jim Bowen. What's most frustrating is the fact that Hughes was a natural like Lee Evans and was effortlessly funny. I think old age has caught up with him. I know quite a few people at the same show as me and they were equally shocked as were the audience at just how bad he was

doug, June 2008

He's an excellent stand up comic.

Jess, May 2008

Slightly Hicks. Very enjoyable and diverse in presentation.

J, December 2007

Saw him at Newcastle and didn't find the Madeline stuff offensive - it's subjective. Who says you cannot talk about sensitive subjects in comedy? I've seen loads of gigs which people would say the subject is too close to the bone or shouldn't be discussed. Its a free county and we're not part of the republic of China. If you don't like it, walk out or don't go. Get a life...

NotSeanHughes, November 2007

Saw Sean in Basingstoke last night - not great! I had always enjoyed him in Never Mind the Buzzcocks, but he mumbled a lot of the time and 'swallowed' the punchline on a number of occasions. He was making snidey comments about the audience and how hard he was having to work to get a response - as if we were at fault and not him. He had also done the usual comedian trick of reading the local paper before coming on stage - but had got his facts wrong. If you are going to poke fun at people Sean then make sure you know what you're talking about. Very disappointed...

Annie Pratt, September 2007

Saw him Friday 14/9/07, Glasgow. The fact that the theatre was half empty just created a better and more intimate atmosphere. Without doubt, one of the funniest nights I've had in ages. Yes he did make one comment in relation to the McCanns (not Madeline) - along the lines of "You've got kids? What'd you do, tell them you were off to a tapas bar?" I've heard a lot worse than that. There were other jokes about Coronation Street, epeleptics, Down's Syndrome, terrorism and the tsunami. He also made jokes about his parents, the Irish, women he's slept with and members of the audience sitting in the front row, and all this was taken in good spirits. It's an adult show, so there's nothing in it that wasn't expected. Nobody complained and nobody walked out. It was a good fun night out and would highly recommend for those of a certain age who still have a sense of humour.

Louise, September 2007

Why cant we joke about madeline? I found the joke funny and its a joke about the Pope anyway. Sean Hughes is a legend

jonny b, July 2007

I was at the gig where he supposedly made comments about Madeleine McCann and here is the joke he told: "Did you see they went to the see the Pope last week? I don't think he's involved. I mean, I know he's a Nazi, but, well..." So, what is the problem? The joke is clearly about the POPE and a Nazi background - NOT about Madeleine! And on the night in question everyone laughed. If any of you have ever been to see live comedy you would KNOW there is a time and a place - and a context for everything. This joke about the POPE has totally been taken OUT of context by a minority of idiots - and journalists that have nothing else to report on and has been turned in to a witch-hunt, which is totally, totally unfair.

Amanda, June 2007

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