Ricky Gervais: Fame, Apollo Theatre, London
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It may be indicative of the ever-growing cult of personality of Ricky Gervais that, two years ago, the warm-up gig before his national tour was held in The Soho Theatre's 160-seater auditorium, but this time around he has filled the 550-seater Bloomsbury Theatre and the 800-seater Apollo Theatre to stretch his performance muscles.
While the stage space might be bigger, the drill is the same: one portly comedian in blue jeans and a black T-shirt, a lectern and a very relaxed and engaging delivery. Perhaps a bit too relaxed on this occasion. Yes, the gig was a work-in-progress, and the ticket prices were reasonable, with the proceeds going to the Macmillan Cancer Trust, but the night never quite felt the wind beneath its wings and Gervais strolled through it, rarely breaking into a canter.
At the beginning of the show, there was some knockabout stuff about how much Gervais has done for charity and how he might one day have to order a cancer victim off a bed, protesting: "Oi, I paid for that!" Gervais then scored a number of hits on the subject of obesity, the newest charitable cause and a disease where "everything tastes good". Elsewhere, Gervais's ease and cheeky smile could not quite save modest routines about Hitler's genitalia and some lazy and oft-quoted gags on the issue of rape.
Moreover, a feeling of cruise control was actively detrimental to some material. I had read of a gag about the lurid services advertised on toilet walls and then pitching the same services to the BBC2 show Dragons' Den, a super notion but a gag that was fluffed and not given the life one would have hoped for on stage.
Though titled Fame, in reality the show should have been called Charity and Toilet, reflecting the two main areas from where the humour came. Maybe this was a blessing as we were spared too many in-jokes about celebrities, the double-edged gimmick on which his successful TV show Extras was built.
From watching Gervais's last stand-up show, Politics, go from work-in-progress to full tour, I can see that Fame will yet undergo a transformation. If past experience is anything to go by, then the odds favour a finished article altogether more punchy and pacy than tonight's performance.
Also showing on 7 December (020-7494 5070)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments