2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Tom Deacon review
I had high hopes for Deacon, having seen his recent appearance on Dave's One Night Stand. Admittedly a small set, but one which I quite enjoyed so I was expecting a good evening's stand-up. What I (and, by the sound of the crowd) got instead was a rather insecure hour, occupied by regular silences at the end of stories and punchlines. This end-of-routine silence became almost part of his act. Too many jokes bombed and it would have been hard for even a veteran comic to come back from this reaction.
While there were a few chuckles on the way, topics didn't range further than on what side of the head to have your fringe, and the pros and cons of Xbox and girlfriends; although there was an entertaining section involving the northern accent.
In my view it took 45 minutes until Deacon performed at the standard to which I was expecting. The final 5 minutes was particularly funny, as it is so unexpected, but overall this show was below average, and larger and more regular laughs are expected from the Radio 1 DJ.
This show is most likely to appeal to fans his radio broadcasts, and Xbox lovers, but even then I don't feel it will be especially ground-breaking from their point of view.
I entered with high expectations, however the outcome was disappointing, and I feel two stars say it all.
Tom Deacon: Can I Be Honest? listing