Sometimes it has to be said that an audience are up for a gig, and other times they aren’t. It’s been very interesting to see a lot of comedy shows this month at the Fringe, and there have been a lot that have been packed out and others with much smaller numbers. The venues can also play their part with atmosphere being so important. The type of comedian is paramount too. If you’re an “in yer face” comic like Felicity Ward your presence can make an impact. A brash loud comedian has a better chance to win over an audience than a comedian with a more laid-back approach, like Annie Doyle and indeed Fiona Allen.
Add in the fact that Fiona recently had a family bereavement to contend with, and there are plenty of mitigating factors for her excellent show to not have turned out as well as she would have hoped. Let’s be honest – comedy is about the hardest thing anyone can do as an entertainer. You get good nights and bad nights and you get audiences that are up for it and audiences that need a kick start themselves.
I can only write about what I observed on the night and try and paint a picture for the reader of this review. Fiona’s comedy was funny – let’s not take anything away from that – and it is clear she is a very funny lady with a track record most comedians would die for. Her delivery of her material has always been done in a matter-of-fact style with throwaway lines and gags and that suits her down to the ground. But on this occasion some of the brilliant material wasn’t landing with some of the audience. Any other day, and with a packed audience (she did have sell out shows) the same act would have brought the house down. They were a tough audience to crack, but I was highly entertained, and I wasn’t the only one.
So with all that in mind, I would rate Fiona’s show as a 4 and the audience at a 2. I am sure on another day with the audience on her side Fiona would have got a 5, but as I say, I can only mark on what I saw that night. I really enjoyed her show and I look forward to seeing her again in the future.
