2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Matt Tiller review
Walking into a room where the comedian is already standing on stage is always a worrying start but walking into Matt Tiller's show, upstairs at Just the Tonic, we were greeted with a warm smile and an appreciative speech thanking the audience for showing up. Which was nice.
It is very easy to warm to Matt Tiller who, despite technical difficulties, managed to thread together two elements of comedy that are rarely seen together. Audio visual presentation and musical comedy. The show, which documents a fictional(?) high profile kidnap and an almost fanatical obsession with the Chancellor of the Exchequer is about as far away from the title as you can get. Many in the audience seemed to be expecting some kind of karaoke comedy but instead found a very assured comedian looking to explain the elements of his life that have always seemed at odds with his viewpoints.
Tiller's punchlines and asides didn't always hit home in the room but were always sharp and astutely observed and it is easy to feel as though the room let him down slightly. Amongst the audience were several Europeans without much of a working knowledge on the intricacies of both politics in the UK and the class system, topics which Tiller played on quite heavily during the show.
In short, Just Du-et is far from the perfect show and some of the songs in the piece feel forced and almost superfluous to the shtick. However, in saying that, Matt Tiller's talent as a comedian is never in any doubt as he weaves a complex narrative around a relatively simple central theme. It is - perhaps - one for the Conservatives amongst you to avoid.
Matt Tiller: Just Du-et listing
