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Garage, March 22 as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival http://www.richardherring.com
Richard Herring 'What Is Love, Anyway'
Early on, Richard Herring (Garage, 22 March) announces that he's performed What is Love Anyway? a hundred and fifty times. It is in fact a little over a third that number, but all the same the show does seem to have become habit. Although a polished performer, injecting enthusiasm to the jokes, bringing various audience members into punch lines, there's an undercurrent that he's going through the motions.
The show is quite a diversion from his previous material. He has in the past explored politics and tackled Christianity, but this doesn't have the same level of provocation, and the result is altogether safer, more bland.
Not that there is anything wrong with the subject matter in itself, merely that there is little new here. Deconstructing his amorous failures, analysing lust versus love are entertaining yet nothing new, and don't bring out the best in him. Hypothesising on the cost of maintaining a romantic promise does, however, as do some tales of his aging grandmother, and even the expected wank gags.
When he exudes his boyish charm, no matter the crudeness of the material, he's a success, but this show, in all, just seems a little tired.
Comments (5)
Add a comment »Lazy review. Please don't think this is a complaint from a Herring fan, either, I'm not - this is just an utterly pointless, rushed, piece of shit. Next time, spend more than five minutes on something that is going to be published online.
Posted by | Saturday 24 March 2012 @ 00:12
Report to moderatorAgreed, this is bland and riddled with cliches. I've come to expect much more of this mag, don't let the standard slip now!
Posted by | Saturday 24 March 2012 @ 02:21
Report to moderatorAnd you're wrong. The tour is 70 odd dates long, but the show was also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and many times in preview. Pedantic mathematically obsessed Herring is unlikely to have made so simple an error!
Posted by | Saturday 24 March 2012 @ 13:51
Report to moderatorWell there’s constructive criticism and then there are these comments? Lazy? There is clearly research behind this review detailing Herring’s past works and a clear description of delivery and material. Regarding the mention of the amount of shows I believe this was to make the point that this was a routine that had been done too many times for it to still be fresh and not to play guess the number. If someone has such a limited vocabulary to use profanity in a 42 word review I find it laughable they can refer to anyone’s work as lazy! I was at the show and couldn’t agree more with the review.
Posted by | Monday 26 March 2012 @ 13:46
Report to moderatorHerring has always been really bad at concealing the fact that he's on autopilot. In his defence he's been gigging so long and doing such long runs that I'm kind of impressed he's managed to retain any semblance of sanity at all. Not understanding the hate for this review btw.
Posted by | Monday 26 March 2012 @ 14:38
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