Tony Hawks: Random Fun - review
Published: Sunday 25th September 2011
Random Fun: a fitting title for Tony Hawks' first venture into stand-up, for that is precisely what it is. An amalgam of songs, pictures and light-hearted banter make up what sets out to be a rather jovial evening.
The focus of the show is primarily on Hawks himself, who is not - as he stresses early on - the pro skateboarder, but a middle aged comedian, author, one hit wonder and once film extra in the James Bond films (clips provided!). He presents to us a series of interesting milestones from his lifetime in PowerPoint form, the subjects of which he then uses as platforms for observational one-liners and hearty rants. Notably, a section including an analysis of song lyrics is reminiscent of Ed Byrne's early material, while accounts of his drunken bets with fellow comedian Arthur Smith (the most recent of which, Round Ireland With a Fridge, is now a feature film and book) contain glimpses of Dave Gorman's adventures - both of which appear to feel more coincidental than as a result of influence, it must be said.
It is interesting to see a comedian of such experience stepping out of his comfort zone into the less familiar territory of stand-up. Although the extremely likeable Hawks stumbles and loses a few crafted lines throughout the night, he recovers well, working them into the show with skilled creativity before moving swiftly on. The show itself grows and develops over the course of the night, the second half being probably the stronger of the two.
The latter part of the evening saw a question and answer session, which allowed Hawks to utilise his strong improvisation skills (clearly honed from years of experience on Radio 4 panel shows like Just a Minute). It was here that Hawks was in his element and growing in confidence. Clearly he is passionate and keen to make stand-up another string to add to his bow, and from the applause and cheers of the audience by the end of the show, he has certainly managed it.
Okay, it must be said that it isn't the most 'cutting edge' of comedy. There is little stretching of the boundaries in terms of topics (consumerism, self checkouts, etc) and it does need a little structural development, but ultimately it doesn't need to be 'cutting edge'. Hawks himself is warm, witty and wonderfully endearing, providing a silly evening of random fun that's as comforting as a hot chocolate by the fire on a cold winter's night. If you enjoy his books and Radio 4 appearances, you can only enjoy his show even more.
Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke on Friday 23rd September 2011.
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