My overall impression
NOTE: This review has been updated to correct my misspelling of Coppin’s name. D’oh. Since I was here and all, I went ahead and rearranged it and threw in a few extra details.
This review is specific to Nik Coppin, chosen at random based on my schedule availability. He roamed hilariously all over the place, but without losing the thread or scattering at random. Racial categorizations, spiders, more spiders, comic books, cricket, just-up-on-the-edge-of-blue stuff, sharks, hair, Australia… And that’s not even the half of it.
Once he started talking he did not stop and he kept it tight. It was just great!
Tomorrow I’m off to find his mailing list.
The British Invasion was not originally on my hit list, but I started hearing raves about it on Friday. Since it has a wonderfully accommodating schedule I decided to slot at least one in at the first opportunity.
Now I’m going to try and hit up more of these shows at random whenever I can, because if the rest of the collective is as good as the guy I’d never heard of before until Sunday? The entire slate rocks hard.
In the USA, rare is the chance to see British stand-up live. DVDs tell us they roll differently, in a refreshing way free off NBH, but seeing them throw down live drives the point home.
My gut instinct is that where they are performing is not a good space for what they do at all, but the one I saw (Nik Coppin) addressed that issue at the top, kicked it to the curb and then it didn’t matter anymore.
NOTE 2: Based on brief conversations and eavesdropping in the fabulous Fringe Central Bistro, no two members of this British Invasion do the same type of show. Some are conversational, some are jokey, some incorporate music.
