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Hal Cruttenden is an average height, “tubby” man with a posh accent which he says “doesn't match[his] body”. The accomplished comedian, actor and writer does well to fill the small, stuffy room at the Camden Head with chuckles as he begins his show by continuously referring to his weight. The comic proves he is not afraid of poking fun at himself as he shakes his body and bellows, “Look at my man tits!” to a somewhat uncomfortable audience.
Anyone who has seen Cruttenden before knows that he has a somewhat camp demeanour. This is hilariously highlighted when he admits he has “absolutely no interest in football whatsoever”. Agreeing with most of the women in the room, Cruttenden says: “Every time I see a man get remotely emotional over football I just think, 'get a fucking life'”. His outlandish analogies of the way our country places football on the same level of importance as WW2 are spot on and for the first time tonight, his show gathers momentum.
The funnyman has a gift for accents ranging from Scottish to Russian, but the best impersonation by far is that of his wife, who hails from Northern Ireland. In one of the best moments of the night, he brilliantly touches on the fact that even when she means well, she sounds “bloody horrifying”. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you”, Cruttenden bellows with a very strong and deep Northern Irish accent.
Throughout the evening, Cruttenden pulls out all the stops to ensure that he showcases the best of his talents, and tickles us with one-liners such as: “Off stage I'm dark, dangerous and sexy, on stage I'm...well, fat and gay” and “I don't cheat on my wife. Well, my fidelity hasn't been tested as much as I would like”. Although it isn't all plain sailing - gags about the Nazis do not go down too well, and fail to flow as naturally as the other jokes. Cruttenden has a funny, universal humour but the controversial jokes do not sit too well with his friendly persona.
It isn't until towards the end of the show when Cruttenden's delivery is really superb. The devoted family man rounds up his performance by explaining what he does when his young daughter says she can't sleep at night because of a nightmare. “I take her into the office and show her the bills on the table”, he reveals to an attentive audience. “Then I run her through the piles of debts that mean Daddy can't fucking sleep at night”. This is a strong way to finish a show which at times lacks the comedic timing and hilarity that we are finally treated to at the end.
To see all Camden Fringe comedy, click on the following venues:
Roundhouse Studio
Camden Head
Lion and Unicorn Theatre
The Sheephaven Bay
Etcetera Theatre
For more details visit: www.camdenfringe.org
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