Review: Dave Fulton, Stu & Garry, John Whale, Chris Kent and Jason Cook – Newcastle Stand

Dave Fulton

The acts on offer at the Newcastle Stand this weekend are so diverse in personality, style and quality you could almost write a novel about them. Two Geordies: one loveable, one sardonic; an Irishman who likes a drink; a pair of petulant, yet undoubtedly funny friends; and a brash, larger than life American who’s about as likeable as Jeremy Clarkson.

‘Cruel to be kind’ seems to be Jason Cook’s mantra, as the Geordie compére warms up the audience early on with some material about the Bigg Market…and a few backhanded compliments directed at a various punters in the room. Midway through the show you begin to suspect calling one couple ‘scum from Benwell’ isn’t the most profitable use of his time on stage; though such is Cook’s rapport with the crowd he gets away with it.

When deploying prepared material it’s usually local references, as you’d expect – which is where I think he shines – but he’s got range, and a sublime routine about the ‘soul shop’ hammers home the heart-warming humour of the North East everyman. As compéres go, you’ll struggle to find a safer pair of hands.

Irish stand-up Chris Kent, our first act of the night, adopts a familiar persona. You know that Irish bloke who can do daft things from time to time? That’s him. And when it’s not him it’s his dad. Occasionally, though, Kent subverts this stereotype and he can be quite smart with his words. A slightly risky line about partial dyslexia, for example, becomes the set-up for a nice call-back later in his set, and there’s a few slick pull-back and reveals in his hostel routine. A bright start to the evening, then, from this low-key comedian.

The first middle spot of the night was occupied by John Whale, a local comedian who can be a real joy to watch. Fancy a routine about Raoul Moat and Legoland? Well, he’s your man. It’s so easy to compare Whale to Stewart Lee: he’s cutting in his condemnation of pop culture; his writing is intelligent; and his sense of timing is impeccable. I’m not sure how well his newer material will travel – as it’s basically an exposé on celebrities who embarrass the North East – but I’m sure Whale will find out himself in the coming months. So far, so good.

Stand favourites Stu & Garry followed Whale with twenty minutes of pure fun. It’s always difficult to review improvised comedy as technically the set changes with the crowd, but there’s still a structure behind their tomfoolery. The chemistry between the pair can be magical, too, with either more than capable of switching roles according to the crowd’s suggestion. Hopefully next time they visit the Newcastle Stand they’re headlining.

There’s nothing worse than a story that collapses in the final paragraph, but that’s what happened here on Thursday night. Like Cook, American stand-up Dave Fulton tells us he knows how we act and how we think; ‘us Brits’ love talking about the weather, we love a drink, we like to moan. But the difference between the two is that Cook’s stereotypes are laced with truth, whereas Fulton feels patronising; and the bout of aggressive, close to the bone material that follows demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of the room.

In Fulton’s defence, he lays himself bare. Fulton loves the NHS but can’t understand what the doctors are saying; he also thinks women shouldn’t be involved in the police force; and he tried grave-robbing once but it wasn’t really for him. In the right hands, taboo topics like domestic violence, for example, can be discussed with consideration; but when Fulton waits for an applause break after telling the crowd he once hit his ex-girlfriend there’s something amiss. Namely humour.

So, no happy ending at the Newcastle Stand tonight, but plenty of fun along the way. Do visit sometime.