Look at This Massive Picture of My Face: Fringe Review

Howdy Doody

4/5

It’s very difficult to pull off a routine that focuses largely on lengthy rants whilst still retaining an audience’s affection, but Nick Doody manages to pull this feat off with aplomb. Beginning with a lecture on the importance of audience attention, it is not long before he is dissecting politics, religion and the flaws of airport security.

With an astute talent for observational comedy, Doody has clearly spent a considerable amount of time analysing the various discrepancies found in everyday occurrences. From the ridiculous logic of being unable to take more than 100ml of liquid on a plane but as much as you want if it is in separate containers, to the lack of appeal of 20-year-old women when you are 40 as you realise that you share nothing in common with them, Doody produces sharp, witty humour, that has much of the audience in stitches.

Although some of the jokes will not work for everyone, as Doody points out, there is no point staying offended when the words he says are in jest, rather than means to deliberately upset the sensitively inclined. After all, a joke about rape is not the same as rape itself. Though moments of the set teeter on the edge of acceptability, including a hilarious if somewhat impertinent digression involving Baroness Thatcher, Doody is clearly onto a winner.

Taken from Broadway Baby, published Aug 2012.