Birdman: We Are All in the Gutter, but Some of Us Are Looking at the Gutter
In comedy shows, it’s soon clear whether the performer will deliver the goods. Markus Birdman is one performer who secures almost immediate confidence in his audience.
The way that stand up comedy has risen in prominence is one of the defining characteristics of the Fringe. For many, stand-up dominates to an extent which marginalizes other forms. In my own experience, there is certainly a predominance of very competent stand up performers who ultimately struggled to produce something memorable. A 50-minute stand up show is not something easily achieved.
On Wednesday afternoon I saw one performer really struggle to produce consistently engaging material. They were easily put off by some of the muted responses from the audience, and this led them to forget where they were at certain points. Punch lines were missed and anecdotes fumbled. While the comedian talked a good game (“this is going to be a good show I promise”), they failed to deliver. The disjunct between what was promised and what was delivered became increasingly obvious. The show rather limped to a finish.
So it was a great joy to be in the audience for Markus Birdman’s show at the Banshee Labyrinth. After a very engaging preamble by his partner Malinda Mukama, Birdman took the audience through a number of themes, including his recovery from a stroke (which has badly affected his eyesight), his brush with fame (via an appearance on Britain’s Got Talent) and the challenges of a changing comedy scene. In stark contrast to the performer I saw earlier that day, Birdman’s performance was polished and confident, with never a false step. His anecdotes were engaging, full of surprising and genuinely humorous lines. He performed with the confidence of someone with 20 years in comedy, but without arrogance.
Particularly effective segments included a deconstruction of the classic “said the actress to the bishop” exclamation, reimagining it for the contemporary ‘woke’ world. More generally, his take on what themes are appropriate for comedy was insightful, rejecting a simplistic dichotomy between ‘old fashioned’ and ‘woke’ humour. Birdman illustrated this through the critical comments his appearance on Britain’s Got Talent had received, read out by his partner. This interaction added to the theatrical aspect of the show.
As the performance continued, Birdman got into deeper territory; adjusting to ageing, the nature of fatherhood, and about the true character of love (he gently probed some of the older couples in the audience about this, which proved illuminating). These themes were dealt with humour and no shortage of wisdom. This took the show beyond what most stand-up provides.
Markus Birdman: We Are All in the Gutter, but Some of Us Are Looking at the Gutter.
PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth – Cinema Room
3.55pm, until 17 August.
