The first time I saw James Acaster was in 2011 when he supported Milton Jones on the Lion Whisperer tour at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. I remember him mostly for the jumper he wore which made him stand out as oddly funny.
He's still oddly funny but now he's a superstar, especially to the mostly young crowd who've helped sell out this four-night run at Glasgow's Theatre Royal. You could tell they were young not just by their appearance or the clothes they weren't wearing but by the large number who returned after the interval clutching the free cups of water, having been unable to afford the bar prices. A few had forked out for ice creams but they were probably on dates and didn't want to appear cheap. Or had mental health issues and needed a sugar high to continue living.
This tour has James tackling his fear of the audience, though on tonight's evidence, he has little to worry about. Hecklers were few and far between, bar one person who shouted out "Watch yer mouth, ya wee prick" during a routine referencing the reaction to the Queen's death. The intervention did seem to throw him as he tried to figure out what the intention of the heckler was, his requests for an explanation eliciting a stony silence, leaving him with no other option but to suggest he'd be ruminating over this heckle all night later in his hotel room.
One lady with a delayed cackle also brought the house down a number of times, forcing James to eventually remark about the situation, suggesting she was one audience member he had no worries about. She was plainly enjoying his performance.
As James reflected on his childhood, returning to the roots of his neuroses, I couldn't help but sympathise with his situation. This was comedy through pain and painfully funny. I loved how he casually slipped the callbacks into his routines, even acting out one while relating a completely different story. Such a craftsman.
I noticed a few members of the audience rushing away at the end not realising he would return for an extended encore. Watching them slink back to their seats was hilarious. They couldn't all have needed a pee.
I did make an idiot of myself a couple of times tonight. (What, only twice?). My first was when I got excited about finding a free parking space near the theatre. Racing to nab it, I neglected to pay attention to the pothole puddles at the edge of the road and accidentally splashed a triad of Chinese youths who turned to scowl at me as they walked past my now-parked car. I feared they would return and trash my vehicle after I left for the theatre. But they didn't. It was totally wrong of me to think they were all black belts in vandalism.
The other situation occurred when I tried to be funny during the interval. Despite the show being a sellout there were two empty seats beside me. These were spotted by a young girl who asked me if I minded if she and her friend took them. I stated she would need to leave them where they were. As soon as it came out of my mouth, I cringed. Fortunately, she didn't care. She just wanted the seats so she and her bearded chum sat down to enjoy the second act from their better view.
He was big, bearded, English and a vaper. The device looked like a long flash drive and the vapour he exhaled smelled sweet. I wanted to grab it off him and throw it at the stage but James had warned us violent behaviour would have us removed. I figured he was my punishment for the previous poor joke.
The evening ended with a rendition of 'La la la la Humpty', James' classroom party piece, where we provided the backing vocals and he accompanied himself on his childhood drums.
A class act.
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| As he was in 2011 |
Blurb:
"One of comedy's most original voices" (Evening Standard) has written a new show. He's very proud of it. That being said, you are allowed to ruin it. Fill your boots.
WHY SEE JAMES ACASTER?
HECKLERS WELCOME
Irreverent and self-deprecating as they come, James Acaster has risen to the top of the comedy tree with his honest observational style, laying bare his life on stages, panel shows podcasts, books, and more. Don't miss this tall drink of water when he brings his new show, 'Heckler's Welcome' to venues across the country this year. Pitched as a way for Acaster to face his fear of live audiences after COVID, the show will be somewhat interactive, with James asking for your opinion on how he's doing!
Following the well-trodden path of many a comedian, James Acaster came to prominence after performing at the highly esteemed Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he was nominated for Best Show five times over. After that, it was only a hop, skip and a jump to the mainstream. His talents have seen him appear on numerous comedy shows, record a Netflix special, and start his own hilarious podcast; Off Menu with fellow comedian Ed Gamble.
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