Michael McIntyre @ Soho Theatre

2:40p.m., Fri 13 Mar 2009

We went to see Michale McIntyre's "Work In Progress" preview show at The Soho Theatre last night.

It was a late show, kicking off at 10pm, and one of the oddest stand-up gigs I've ever seen.

McIntyre is a comic high on confidence at the moment following a triumphant 2008 both on TV and on stage, culminating in a big-selling DVD release. So he came out all guns blazing, delivering new material rapid fire.

His new material is more of the same - typical observational material from a hum-drum middle-class life. That might makes it sound dull and predictable, but whilst McIntyre's material follows a well-trodden cowpath, his delivery and timing is what sets him apart from the hordes of jobbing comedians. He's also incredibly likeable & charismatic.

He starts well, describing a trip to buy a new hoover and expanding the riff to encompass the absurd behaviour of the shopper in clothing stores and shoe shops. He interacts with the audience and stumbles across a man who's split from his wife THAT VERY DAY. This is a difficult & dangerous situation from which to wring comedy but he does so, without pushing into uncomfortable territory.

So the gig takes an odd turn when McIntyre decides that the audience reaction isn't matching the quality of his material he wades into the audience and starts berating sections of the crowd.

The third-floor room at The Soho Theatre is an odd room for stand-up, wide and shallow with only maybe 10 rows of seats. Not the type of venue that's suited to McIntyre's comedy which has been written with an eye to much, much bigger venues and television. It must be odd to perform an early set to an appreciative crowd then hot-foot across town to a cold room and perform the same material to a fraction of the reaction. And since McIntyre's confidence is way bigger than this little room and this little gig, he probably over-compensates. Berating the audience is not his style and anger is not playing to his strengths.

The gig ends on a pleasant note though, as Michael offers us an apology, then holds the door as we troop out, shaking everybody's hand and thanking them for coming - snapping back to his polite, middle-class self.

It was one of those gigs that only an accomplished comic would only give in a 'work in progress' type of show.