“Sometimes I worry I don’t worry enough.” A joke (or honest truth) that Tim Reeves makes early on, and one that sums up his comic persona. Finding his way in the world, he acts a bundle of nerves with almost everything mentioned in the 45 minutes being “very stressful” to him. Sometimes, this string of stress is broken with the deadpan mutterings “that’s crazy” or “wild” in reaction to some of life’s blander elements. Personally I’ve never compared the limescale in my kettle to the the Great Barrier Reef, but maybe I’m missing out on the true finer things in life?
Most memorable though, and the greatest trigger of heckling, were his multiple bumbling rants about how he wishes he wasn’t doing this show, that he was forced into it against his will. I mean, doesn’t everyone dream for the comedian they paid to watch not actually wanting to perform?
All in all, this culminated in an awkward, monotonous, and slightly strange character that Reeves took on, reminiscent of Jim from Friday Night Dinner. I think it’s fair to say that’s not to everyone’s taste (as evidenced by the audience halving in size).
In my view, there’s no denying he was funny, and there were certain sections building up to one-liners that were innovative and hilarious. “If I were a pigeon I’d wear socks” and “I feel like an ambulance could learn more from a hearse” were just a few of the weirdly wonderful lines that couldn’t keep us from chuckling away. But after a while, the thinking-out-loud style Reeves followed became slightly far-fetched and less humorous.
Alone, this may not have spiralled into as many hecklers and walkouts if it weren’t for the negative tone Reeves used throughout, which ultimately shot himself in the foot. Don’t get me wrong, complaining and self-deprecation can be funny, and at times it was, but Reeves took it too far, after a while asking the audience why they would waste their Saturday night on this show? Inevitably, this led them to question it themselves.
Though the show would not be at the top of my recommendations, I would suggest keeping your eye on Tim Reeves because his strong punchlines and sharp wit reassure me he is a great comedian, with potential for more.
Tim Reeves: Give This A Miss will be running until 24 August at The Wee Coo at Underbelly, George Square.
Buy tickets here.
Image courtesy of Rebecca Need-Menear, provided to The Student as press material