Review: Reginald D Hunter and Steve Hughes – Sunderland Empire

Reginald D Hunter

When Reginald D Hunter is concerned, his reputation almost always precedes him. He is a comedian who has courted attention throughout his career – like when fellow comics rumoured he only got work because he was black – and his new show Trophy Nigga is no different.

The issue with Reginald D Hunter, like a lot of comics I suppose, is that you are never quite sure where the man ends and the character begins. On stage, Hunter is effortless. His charm and presence can win over even the toughest of crowds, and makes up for his understated material. And whilst a lot of his set is spent on feed-lines and build-up, the payoffs are worth the wait.

Hunter may have split the crowd late on with his remark about Nelson Mandela – two people in my row left not long after – but he easily won them back with a newer piece of material on his interpretation of Sex And The City 2 that showed Hunter at his best; candid, political but ultimately playful. Hunter is one of the most charismatic men in comedy – and perhaps the most honest. Support act Steve Hughes isn’t far behind.

Throughout Hughes’ half hour set he commanded the stage with great authority and style, and provided the audience with his impression of the Orwellian world to come. Australian act Hughes, like Hunter, is a very socially aware comedian, whose political material was told with such fantastic use of language and undeniable conviction that his opinions became reality on stage. His well-fashioned set was a joy to watch, and his subtle call backs to boy bands and shower caps along and the elegance of his storytelling, at times, brought bigger laughs than the main act.

When I spoke to Reginald D Hunter earlier in the week he pitched to me the idea that tonight’s show at Sunderland Empire contained two headline acts, and that Steve Hughes was not so much a support act but rather an inspiration to Hunter’s comedy. He was right.