DVD Review: Lee Mack - Going Out Live
Published: Wednesday 1st December 2010
Although increasingly well known for his appearances on panel shows such as Would I Lie To You? and his own sitcom Not Going Out, Lee Mack is undeniably at his best on the stand-up circuit.
Rejecting the storytelling or observational route favoured by some comics, Mack follows the same formula as Jimmy Carr - simply telling lots of jokes. Along the way he demonstrates his facility for accents - his cockney is a bit dodgy (a shame as this particular show was filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo) but his demonstration of a Scouser turning into a dolphin is amazing. We also get the odd impression, including an apparently spontaneous profane Bruce Forsyth and a hilarious parody of a magician's act.
Dressed in a suit which he admits aimed for an Al Pacino look but which actually makes him look "like an unsuccessful regional snooker player", Mack now in his forties, is as full of boundless energy as ever. Despite this, he once or twice seems to be emulating Stewart Lee by slowing things down to a patience-testing degree during a routine about the Subway chain and again a sex joke later on.
The bonus feature - Mack On Tour - reveals a much more subdued Mack musing about life on tour from an armchair. The film certainly doesn't glamorise the comedy life - there's some footage of Mack losing his patience (understandably) with a persistent heckler in Leicester - and although interesting, it's a bit of a come down after seeing the main show.
But with some bonus footage of Mack's promising support act, Simon Evans, this is well worth seeing. Swearier and generally funnier than he is on TV, the return of the Mack is well worth checking out.
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