Show Details
Rick Shapiro
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2007
Starring Comic:
Rick Shapiro

Rick Shapiro


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Videos

Rick Shapiro

Bits and pieces from HBO's Lucky Louie star, Rick Shapir

More Rick Shapiro videos
Rick Shapiro
Rick Shapiro rant: Bistro
Rick Shapiro at Sidewalk Cafe
Rick Shapiro at Cringe Humor
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Description

Bill Hicks, Denis Leary, Doug Stanhope ... the line moves uncomfortably forward. Is there such a thing as too much truth? Can you handle it?

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Reviews

Original Review:

Raw, honest, uncompromising – those are the qualities the very best exponents of stand-up tend to display.

But even the most edgy of cult heroes usually bring at least some technique to their art; adapting the abrasive , antisocial elements of their personality into a form fit for public consumption, working on how best to phrase their angry thoughts into jokes.

Rick Shapiro has no such filter.

What you get is the real him, with messy, sprawling ideas, ill-directed fury and no editor on he says. He is spitting out his internal monologue, thinking on his feet but not necessarily thinking it through. He’s probably the closest thing we have to Lenny Bruce – for good and for bad. There’s an absolute integrity and candour to the set, but it’s also all over the shop: sometimes pointless and waffly, sometimes revelatory.

It could be a car crash, and the thrill that he will finally topple adds to the uncomfortable excitement. We’re slightly scared of this ranting lunatic with attention deficit disorder, stripped down to the waist and pacing through the room – some laughs are nervous, but plenty are genuine, too, as there’s a savage, dark wit at the heart of his tirades.

His back story is that he was once a heroin junkie who turned to male prostitution to feed his habit and pay the $9-a-night cost of staying in hostel. In other hands, this could make for an archetypal redemption show, tightly directed, full of drama and pathos. In his, it’s just another reason to be angry, a payoff to many a routine, barked out as a matter of fact to explain his rough edges, rather than seeking any sympathy.

If Iggy Pop did stand-up, he would be Rick Shapiro. He’s surely the world’s most feral comedian, and his electric, untamed energy should appeal to any hardcore stand-up fan seeking an extreme hit. Just don’t expect a tight one-liner.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett

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Comments

Iggy Pop, Eddie Izzard and Bill Hicks, combined!

stewart barrett, October 2007


Having watched up to 25 comics at the fringe I still hadn't had that mind blowing comic experience that I search for until I saw Rick. This guy shoots from the hip so hard your just blown away buy his undiluted honesty.There are no gimicks in his show, no predictable formula, no stock lines just the blast of a free flowing, nuclear powered imagination. He punches holes through apathy and holds up truth in its dripping, ugly glory and some how makes you laugh. If you want comedy that takes the genre to the next level see Rick. Bo selecta and Peter Kay fans stay at home.

David Honan, August 2007



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