Review: Gary Delaney, Adnan Ahmed, Nathan Caton and Andy Fury – Sunderland Empire

Gary Delaney

This past Tuesday Sunderland Empire showcased another high-quality comedy night, with one-liner comedian Gary Delaney headlining May’s Laughter Live. Support came in the shape of Adnan Ahmed, Nathan Caton and host Andy Fury.

Compere Andy Fury started the night slowly thanks largely to an unwilling audience, but the crowd soon warmed to him after some typically surreal bantering. Fury adopted the role of ungainly stand-up – and sometimes further clarity is needed in his delivery – however his witty ad-libbing subverted that persona.

Opening act Nathan Caton was a personal highlight for this reviewer. His well constructed familial anecdotes were delivered with charm and child-like confidence, and Caton was the first to employ advanced comedy techniques. The comedian also offered a fresh perspective on worn subject matter, and his intelligent deconstruction of positive discrimination was arguably the best routine of the night.

Similarly, Adnan Ahmed explored multiculturalism from a personal perspective, with a mixed bag of gags disguised as observational humour. Ahmed is an assured stand-up with some really smart material, however a few of his one-liners relied heavily on audience recognition – often Ahmed didn’t provide a familiar enough reference point for the crowd, and therefore didn’t get the laughs his more intelligent jokes deserved.

Laughter Live has a history of booking outstanding headliners, and Gary Delaney reaffirmed their superb reputation. Excluding the final section of darker jokes, Delaney controlled the pacing of his one-liners perfectly, moving quickly from wicked humour to customary groaners. The sheer variety in style and construction means that there will be something for everyone, and his impressive turnover of gags also guarantees that every experience of Delaney feels like a new one.