Tommy Campbell – Original Review
Note: This review is from 2006
Review by Steve Bennett
Amiable Canadian comedian Tommy Campbell isn’t one for well-crafted jokes or challenging material to make you think. What he is, though, is an adept storyteller with a decent repertoire of enjoyable anecdotes.He can spin a decent yarn about most things, even something as comparatively straightforward as moving to the UK, but it’s the saucier themes to which he warms most - from sex on a Li-lo to improvising a contraceptive. Don’t misunderstand, mind, he avoids the crude - at least most of the time.
The tales are well-told, with fluid wit and soft charm, and he’s skilled at painting a picture in the mind’s eye. The comic rhythms are impressive, and he can pull out a silly voice or touch of physicality when needed, although for the most part he sensibly restrains himself, and relies on his natural ability.
When he strays off the personal anecdotes into more general areas, the set doesn’t hang together so well. But even here, he’s never less than a good, solid act
Review date: 1 Jan 2006
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
