The ever personable Gareth Waugh is mixing things up this year, and introducing something new to his stage dynamic: raw emotions. Plus lots of powerpoint intrigue and a true-crime theme. And he nearly gets away with it, too.
The set-up: Waugh is a working comic who needs to take corporate jobs to keep his young family fed, one of which involves a big drinks brand. Or does it? He’s asked to do some well-paid podcast hosting, which goes well. But then there’s a cashflow issue, and things unravel. Suddenly a conspiracy unfolds, people disappear, and a private detective gets involved.
So far so good. It’s a cracking Fringe-show tale, well told, with some nice true-crime touches. Unfortunately things go a little awry here too, as the tone suddenly switches. Waugh and his wife had clearly enjoyed the drama, but then he pivots to an awkward teary-eyed sad moment about finances, which feels very forced, particularly without enough tension-building beforehand. Add some darkly ominous hints about impending money woes and that angst, and his subsequent anger, would hit much harder. Chekhov’s chequebook.
That said, the show finishes strongly, with a good takehome message, and Waugh is always a pleasure to watch. This is a decent start to his new standup sleuthing era.
Gareth Waugh: Is Pepsi OK?, Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 30 Aug (not 18), 4.20pm