close button

Stephen K Amos: The Laughter Master - review

Apr 24, 2016 Theatre

Metro-Comedy-Fest-Logo

 

 

Emerging in a haze of smoke that refused to leave the stage, you knew immediately that Londoner Stephen K Amos was going to be a delight. Pointing to a woman in the crowd and describing her expression as saying “Make me laugh, c**t”, Amos’ opening jokes set the bar for the unabashedly foul-mouthed and borderline risqué humour to come over the next hour.

Though his material was smart, witty and had the audience in constant fits of laughter, much of the comedy early on came from the crowd’s futile attempts at contribution. On the outskirts of his attacks, you felt like a spectator at a gladiatorial match, savouring with savage delight as Amos effortlessly shot each person down turn. He moved so smoothly between his material and the impromptu attacks that it made you long for more people to speak up, just to see what further imaginative insults he would come out with.

On the outskirts of his attacks, you felt like a spectator at a gladiatorial match, savouring with savage delight as Amos effortlessly shot each person down turn.

Once the hecklers had quietened, the show took a serious turn around vaguely philosophical discussions about social media’s effect on the world, a more sombre but less captivating run. Amos pulled it back by the end, tying his world views together in a neat bow, equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking.

Aside from a few particularly British references, few jokes failed, and Amos’ wit and personality made even the darkest of subjects drip with humour. His take on how ISIS will go down in history was Blackadder­-esque in its grimness, sarcasm and insight, while interrupting a monologue to rant about the smoke lingering from his entrance showcased his spontaneous wit. This was a confident and thoroughly entertaining show, one I could easily sit through again.

Stephen K Amos: The Laughter Master. April 2324, SKYCITY Theatre. Book tickets

Latest

Latest issue shadow

Metro N°441 is Out Now.

It’s our annual, inflation-busting ‘Where to Eat for Less Than $25’ list (with thanks to Uber Eats) issue! PLUS the Summer Books Special and the Auckland Property Report Card (with thanks to Barfoot and Thompson). Also, Sir Bob Harvey looks into the missing treasures in our museums and talks to Jacqui Knight about monarch butterflies. AND NOT ONLY THAT: Emil Scheffmann looks into our secondary art market, Matthew Hooton and Morgan Godfery look into the new government, Jamie Wall into the tennis, Hana Pera Aoake into the Māori response to the war in Palestine and Abby Howells into being the lion in the Wizard of Oz. We also find the 10 Best Bakeries in Auckland, a great recipe for a Japanese Breakfast and the king of the supermarket pasta brands. All this and much, much more.

Buy the latest issue