Radu Isac takes the microphone without much in the way of introducing this work-in-progress act.
Pretty soon we get the idea; his schtick is to be totally contrarian about, well, everything – putting over a world view that is so committedly misanthropic that it becomes ridiculous, and therefore, funny.
He goes determinedly where other comics may fear to tread, in a manner as un-PC as it’s possible to get, and daring the audience to laugh at what seemingly shouldn’t be funny.
We get that he’s Romanian, but in accordance with the title of the show, Stand Up Comedy In English, this is not much about Romania, but entirely about slagging off English attitudes in a cleverly twisted way.
He kicks off by saying he doesn’t love his girlfriend, and she doesn’t love him, what’s important is that they share the rent, which makes his life cheaper.
Things he claims to be in favour of include the pandemic, anti-vaxxers, segregation, laziness, and suicide.
This is not quite as bleak as it sounds. Some of the twists make a sort of sense, and they do get laughs.
Lockdown as a welcome rest from going out to work, for instance, and his daring to voice the unexpected always grabs the attention.
But it does get a bit same-y, and maybe this particular material needs a bit more work.
Enjoining your audience to commit suicide (yes, that’s right) may not be the ideal way of ending a comedy performance.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Reviewer: John Christopher Wood
