Laugh! Review: Ewen Gilmour

Town Hall Laugh! Chamber

Review: David Lawrence

He might have stayed to soak up some applause, but Ewen Gilmour left the stage abruptly at the end of his preview show, as if things hadn't gone too well.

Maybe the hour had not been the westie comedian's best work, but he need not despair.

His new show, Situations Vacant, is a rambling resume. The guy claims to have had 254 jobs in 10 years, from paperboy to the present, and he expands on a few.

He might well have become a designer of women's shoes, but how could you face the blokes in the pub?

Instead, an auto parts salesman, and New Lynn in place of Paris.

People used to ask him for a "turn tightly," which with experience he learned to recognise as a radiator cap.

"And what sort of car is that for, sir?"

"My one."

Along the way there was a weird thing about getting road-safety messages from grooves in the highway and a near-death experience ("I was sitting next to someone when they died ...").

A turning point was reached when he answered an ad in the Herald seeking unknown comedians. He was advised not to give up the day job. Trouble was, he didn't have a day job ...

No shortage of good new material, then, and plenty for your average Kiwi punter to identify with. But the delivery ...

Although he declared he was happy as a comedian ("the hour's good"), on the night he seemed nervy and went too fast.

Then, when he said after 50 minutes that he had run out of material, he relaxed and started joking around with the audience. And suddenly there was a really funny show.

If this was a dress rehearsal, then, on opening night Gilmour should loosen up, enjoy himself, and stop apologising for lines that don't get laughs. He's funnier than he seems to think he is.

The show runs from tonight until Saturday.