James McCann is a talented man.
He was the youngest RAW Comedy winner ever, and in 2016 he won SA Comedy’s ‘Jester’s Jester’ award, which saw him voted the best SA comic, as chosen by his peers.
After his previous hit comedies Nunopoly, its sequel, Nunopoly 2 : Mo Nun, Mo Nopoly, Wolf Creek the Musical, and The Sound of Nazis, James returns with Deplorable, a more traditional stand-up show that explores the highs and lows of McCann’s 2016.
Deplorable is something different for McCann. I have respect for comedians who can just lay everything out on the table, and James certainly does that – from his year travelling around Australia for a variety of different jobs, to his romantic history, to his self-proclaimed recent weight gain, to walking to Brisbane Airport because he didn’t have enough money for the fare. McCann lays it all bare for the audience’s fare. McCann clearly has a natural wit and talent for timing, his (often self-deprecating) jokes always landing with the audience.
Performing in D.E.W on Hindley, McCann’s performance is, in his own words, “immersive”. Not afraid of the audience, he comes right up to the front row, including them in the performance and getting them to sing along to his finale song. This up-close-and-personal setting fits Deplorable’s personal subject matter perfectly. It also seems fitting for a performer who genuinely seems like a nice guy, speaking to each audience member as they left the performance and personally thanking them for coming along.
McCann has one week left of performances, so get there as soon as you can. This comic was voted as the best of SA’s best for a reason, and his natural charm and well-timed barbs will have you whooping and cheering, just like last night’s audience.
Kryztoff rating: 4.5K
Recent Comments