It's a sign of the times that an entire stand-up hour can be predicated on the role of social media account manager of a global food chain, and that's what we get from Jack Barry’s Edinburgh preview at the Mild Friends Comedy Festival (the Library on Cowley Road, July 18th). Barry has a likeable stage presence, and his material on the pitfalls of running a leading chicken outlet’s Twitter and Facebook accounts is pleasingly off-the-wall. He stumbles a bit when backing political correctness, and doesn’t seem to have the confidence to say what he wants on the subject, treading carefully as expecting someone to challenge his views at any moment. Nevertheless, the comedy moments make up for these missteps, and there is the basis of a very good hour at the Fringe next month.
Closer to having a refined show already is Lou Sanders, part adult, part rambunctious child, whose hour on trying to get into Eton flies by. Her quest is thwarted at every stage by unavoidable circumstances and disapproving secretaries, often recorded by Sanders, whose use of audio cues and phone calls augment her assuredly silly delivery. Sanders is not cowed by her audience and dominates the room, swooping predator-like when there’s the slightest hint of an audience member not being on board the journey. This is fine for the couple who sneakily tried to depart while Sanders was off-stage, but the consequences were rather more serious for the woman in the second row who was adjudged not to be enjoying herself enough and was promptly ‘cradled’. Go to see Sanders when she’s back in Oxford, but you’d better commit. Or else.
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