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Ben O’Sullivan's clever and dry-witted comedy, with a unique bowling metaphor, promises big laughs at the Edinburgh Fringe!Summary
Rating
Good
Stand-up comedian Ben O’Sullivan brings us his musings on life, using the metaphor of bowling – who knew it could be so entertaining!
O’Sullivan has a very dry, laid-back style of delivery. He reminds me of James Acaster in his early career, and look how far he went. That being said, O’Sullivan has several unique and comically attractive qualities. Along with the deadpan delivery, there is some self-narration, which acts like punctuation, sometimes underlining points for the audience. The biggest laugh coming when he looks at his watch, obviously checking what time remained, but exclaims, “Making great time, guys!” His intonation draws out the laugh, a mixture of relief and exasperation. Is it going well?
This is a carefully crafted show, and it evokes some very hilarious and sometimes absurd imagery. My particular favourite being the analogy of the restaurant waiting-staff singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to you, with the feeling of bowling alone – you’ll have to catch the show to find out more on that one. The humour also has elements that are highly intelligent, yet never insulting the audience. He just delivers it, and if you get it, that’s great, if not, he keeps going regardless. It’s this slow, considered delivery that ultimately wins you over. There are moments of uncertainty but overall the set works well and is well received by the audience.
Supporting for this pre-Edinburgh performance, is Izzy Francke, a friend of O’Sullivan’s but a great opener for his show. Francke’s style is a high energy, self-deprecating, stream of consciousness with some funny audience interplay. Her performance is still a little rough around the edges, but nonetheless enjoyable. I found out later that she’d been away from the microphone for a few months, and this was a small step back into comedy. I look forward to seeing more in the future.
The juxtaposition of Francke and O’Sullivan’s styles worked perfectly, and Bowling Alone has the potential to develop and grow in the fertile comedy soil of the Edinburgh Fringe, I really hope it gets good audiences at The Banshee Labyrinth. In my opinion, Ben O’Sullivan is a name to look out for in the future.
Produced by Unrestricted View at Hen & Chickens Theatre.
Bowling Alone previewed at the Camden Fringe before appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Further information and booking are available here.
