Jeff Garlin at Soho Theatre review: Curb Your Enthusiasm star woos with seasoned improv

From his tales of demolishing a plate of cookies to nullify his neurosis to admitting he prefers naps to sex, the show provides a snapshot into Garlin’s daily life

Garlin has been a stand-up comedian for more than three decades (Marion Curtis/Starpix/Rex/Shutterstock)

It could be said that Jeff Garlin lives, eats, sleeps, and shits improvisation. The comedian, who once confessed he feels “maybe too relaxed” during his comedy shows, prefers off-the-cuff humour and meandering anecdotes to scripted stand-up.

In the same way that Curb Your Enthusiasm is famed for being predominantly improvised, so is Garlin’s stand-up. The actor, who plays the role of Larry David’s manager Jeff Greene on the popular HBO comedy, was as at ease on the stage of Soho Theatre this Christmas as others would be in their front room.

In fact there is something about the impromptu, unfiltered, cobbled together character of Garlin’s show which is reminiscent of being in the comedian’s own sitting room. From his yarns about gorging on a plate of cookies to nullify his neurosis to divulging that he prefers naps to sex, the show provides a snapshot into Garlin’s day to day life.

And it is the quotidian, humdrum nature of Garlin’s comedy which makes it so hilariously relatable. The comedian, who also counts writing, producing, and directing among his talents, has an inbuilt, unlearnable sense of humour which means he does not need to bother with contrived or laboured gags. You could say Garlin himself is the gag.

Humour has been in Garlin’s bones since as young as he can remember. Growing up in a Jewish family in the suburbs of Chicago, he decided he wanted to be a comedian after seeing Jimmy Durante perform in Chicago when he was just eight years old.

Garlin, who has now been a stand-up comedian for more than three decades, says he was “funny before nursery school” and relays how his Jewish relatives served as a source of inspiration for his interest in comedy.

Opting for a Q&A style session with an audience comprised of diehard Curb fans and the odd failed comedian who liked the sound of their own voice, he managed to bounce off those around him seamlessly and effortlessly.

From ribbing the couple directly in front of him about their marriage prospects to obsessing over a woman with voluminous hair to teasing a Danish man called Henrick at every opportunity, his gregarious but world-weary cynicism left the room booming with raucous laughter.

The show is just an hour long - a fact which Garlin relishes in describing as a treat to anyone who suffers from attention deficit disorder like himself. In actual fact, it is his attention deficit disorder which propelled him into becoming a veteran improviser in the first place. After all, ad-libbing is easier than rote learning lines if you struggle with your attention span.

One comes away from the show feeling like they have gained something of a window into Garlin’s psyche. From him quipping he feels like he’s on the verge of breaking down every day, to recounting the trials and tribulations of giving up sugar, to admitting he uses Christmas to buy presents for himself, Garlin is unapologetically fallibly human throughout.

He draws the show to a close by announcing that he is going to dance on stage. He promises to “give it his all” and that he certainly does - his arms swinging around madly in tune to the music as he is besieged by people competing for selfies.