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Paul Merton - Out Of My Head
May. 7th, 2012 10:30 pmOn Friday evening, Wolfie and I tootled over to York to watch the talented Paul Merton at the Grand Theatre, a marvellous building which represents a wonderful slice of Victoriana that seemed well-suited to his brand of surreal humour and the act we were about to witness. Indeed, the show Merton put on was in the style of Victorian variety, with some improv, mime, songs, ventriloquism, effects, anecdotes and of course comedy. It was the nearest thing you could probably get to the old music hall shows of the early twentieth century, and that's what made the show so unique and fascinating.
Billed as 'a night of sketches, music, magic and variety', it certainly didn't disappoint. As would be expected with Merton, it had a strong dash of surreal humour but as it wasn't traditional stand-up, I wouldn't describe it as hilarious. It was fun though, visually stunning and the use of the entire stage was exquisite, particularly the section behind the back curtain, from which wires and intelligent lighting were used to create some truly memorable scenes. The professionalism of the performers to pull off stunts which would have been jaw-dropping in 1910 was wondrous while Merton's discussion of his childhood and subsequent mental issues, on which the show was loosely based, added a human narrative and context to the randomness upon the stage. There was a structure, albeit one framed in a dystopic world centred on his time in Maudsley psychiatric hospital, while the Paul Merton Players - Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Suki Webster - brought Merton's weird ideas to life and added their own spin on proceedings. The fact there were four performers meant the dynamic of the show was different to regular stand-up and, because of the nature of the show, we knew this one would be unique - very much like 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' on which the Players made their names.
The show felt a lot shorter than it actually was and it was a privilege to see it. Granted, I regret paying £2.60 for a small pot of ice cream but such extortion aside, both Wolfie and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Indeed, Wolfie enjoyed the sheer depth of the show far more than I, so I think we may investigate seeing other types of comedy in future. As I always say, if you can go and see it, I suggest you do.
Billed as 'a night of sketches, music, magic and variety', it certainly didn't disappoint. As would be expected with Merton, it had a strong dash of surreal humour but as it wasn't traditional stand-up, I wouldn't describe it as hilarious. It was fun though, visually stunning and the use of the entire stage was exquisite, particularly the section behind the back curtain, from which wires and intelligent lighting were used to create some truly memorable scenes. The professionalism of the performers to pull off stunts which would have been jaw-dropping in 1910 was wondrous while Merton's discussion of his childhood and subsequent mental issues, on which the show was loosely based, added a human narrative and context to the randomness upon the stage. There was a structure, albeit one framed in a dystopic world centred on his time in Maudsley psychiatric hospital, while the Paul Merton Players - Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Suki Webster - brought Merton's weird ideas to life and added their own spin on proceedings. The fact there were four performers meant the dynamic of the show was different to regular stand-up and, because of the nature of the show, we knew this one would be unique - very much like 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' on which the Players made their names.
The show felt a lot shorter than it actually was and it was a privilege to see it. Granted, I regret paying £2.60 for a small pot of ice cream but such extortion aside, both Wolfie and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Indeed, Wolfie enjoyed the sheer depth of the show far more than I, so I think we may investigate seeing other types of comedy in future. As I always say, if you can go and see it, I suggest you do.
