Fringe review: NISH KUMAR / DAVID O’DOHERTY, Assembly George Square
The Gordon Aikman Theatre is a 500 seater as part of the Assembly venues in George Square and we found ourselves seeing two very well known comics in back to back shows, both playing to full houses. The joy of this was the ability to compare comic styles between them at the Fringe. The TV screen personas on panel shows make them familiar faces but we can't imagine a greater difference in their on stage delivery.
Nish Kumar's show billed as Nish: Don't Kill My Vibe is a non stop rant reflecting his passionate communist motivations and his own heritage. He rages against white supremisists and it seems all of the recent politicians. It is fast paced, non-stop delivery, barely pausing for a breath or a laugh for the first thirty five minutes before settling into a more nuanced, less aggressive tone for the balance of the show. He states the performance is not a character, he is like this offstage too and it must be exhausting to be around!
There is no doubting his motivation or strength of feeling, emphasised by his strong repetitive swearing designed to offend the very people he attacks. It felt earnest, heartfelt, and we did laugh a lot, but his hatred of the Royal Family and various comics is unpleasantly vitriolic.
David O'Doherty in his show, Highway to the David Zone, has a gentler less intense and more reflective tone. He does not want to change the world dramatically and shares the same frustrations as the audience. Bottle caps linked to bottles, bicycle lanes, and cheap flights are his worries, only to the extent that they interfere with his life. He recalls playing the A to Z of comedy over a weekend with gigs in Aberdeen and Zurich. British Rail and a venue on the Isle of Wight reflect the frustration of his latest tour. It's a gentler form of comedy, he pauses to enjoy the moments and creates a slightly bumbling progress, appearing to losing his thread as he plays and reflects on his keyboard on his lap.
They have three things in common. They both reflect on the lecture hall venue and appreciate 500 people buying a ticket to see them, to fund their indulgences. And they both reference the man caught masturbating as Mount Vesuvius covered Pompeii in hot ash, fixing his position in history, though how that related to the rest of their set it is hard to recall.
It is fascinating to hear both in a short period, admire their stand up skills and laugh along with the rest. But this reviewer left recalling seeing Frank Skinner in the same venue at their last Fringe visit and he was certainly more their cup of tea.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne