Eurgh
What I admire about so many stand-up comedians is their ability to dissect the smallest morsel of literally anything and bounce it around enough to extract substance, character, a touch of magic and, of course, humour. And this is pretty much what Rhys Nicholson did with his frank, up-front presentation of a selection of personal moments and memoirs. Quick witted, up-close and probing, there were references to induce more than a few nervous giggles, some very amusing quips and enough gaiety to tickle anyone's, and I mean anyone's, funny bone.
I have some reservations about comedians who constantly talk about themselves - reflections of the old adage 'why are they up there' - and Rhys is no exception. Certainly a better form of therapy than most, as good comedy is. When one has their moments of feeling so small, as he mentioned quickly in passing as a selfie snapshot, who wouldn't look for the larger things in life; and what better place is there to do this than in the creative arts.
Amidst any form of self-doubt, and which artist hasn't experienced this at some stage, this was still a balanced, professional performance with the right amount of flamboyancy, some good laughs and a presentation flavoured with a subtle twist of lemon peel.
Brian Adamson
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