Huge Davies: Whodunnit, Soho Theatre
Reviewer - Cathie
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
There are a few finer things in life than spending a Wednesday evening in the basement of Soho Theatre, watching a fabulous stand-up comedian.
Huge Davies arrives onto stage confidently brandishing his attached keyboard and microphone like a particularly sharp weapon and a matching intense sniper glare on the audience. Davies begins his show with a cautionary tale against heckling, before using the first half of Ronald Knox's Ten Rules for Detective Fiction to dubiously explain a murder mystery premise.
This sets the scene for the show’s constant unpredictability from there and Davies explores many random topics from the riddles of Nando’s customer and the musical motifs of TV shows such as The Apprentice and Radio 4. I did not expect in February to hear a passionate explanation of the trauma that is the Snowman at Christmas time and a deep exploration of grief and reality but it was a definite hilarious eye opener. He also expounds often on his supposed similarity in looks to fellow comedian Phil Wang with strange and Prosecco-laden results.
With a dead pan wit drier than a glass of crisp Chardonnay, Davies is magnetic in using his keyboard to play snazzy songs to make the audience laugh and cringe in equal measures. My favourite is the song dedicated to his wife that’s definitely not about illicit affairs and murder on a stag do. Davies biggest strength in this set was using his musical skills to get the crowd chanting along and most fired up in laughter. This was difficult as the crowd was quite jaded so he worked hard to bring them into jollity. He definitely has the same crowd working skills as many a teacher, who he so cruelly maligns later in his set. Another positive in this show was the relative lack of picking on the audience, although I would recommend it’s best to milord him just in case he calls on you.
Although the show feels like completely random bits and non sequiturs, the different jokes came together at the end in a rousing song and everything makes a strange kind of sense. However, as Davies himself explains, his set relies on very long set ups and a small joke at the end. Some of the connections between bits could have been better sequenced as it did feel excessively random at points and the murder mystery element could have been fleshed out further. In an hour long set it was obvious when the audience’s attention in the room dipped when the rants became just that bit too long winded but Davies did well to bring everyone’s attention back up quickly. Another point that needs smoothing is the use of lights in the show with a little more warning in transitioning the lights. As going from near darkness to bright lights and back again almost instantaneously is painful and headache inducing even when not especially sensitive to flashing lights.
Overall this was a solid stand up set, albeit rough around the edges, and I look forward to seeing his career flourish in the future. If you like dry humour, intense comedians and a strong repertoire of comedic songs to narrate a murder mystery being ‘solved’ then this is the show for you.
At Soho Theatre until 2 March.
☆ ☆ ☆.5
