Overview
‘Laughter is my Agenda’ - does what it says on the tin, and does it well. According to the festival guide "Stephen K Amos really is as good as everyone says" and after seeing him for the first time at Sky City Theatre, I’d be inclined to agree. A seasoned British comedian with over ten years of shows under his belt, he confidently breezed through his one hour show, skipping between amusing observations and anecdotes, peppered with lots of chats to the audience. There isn’t any real narrative running through it, and at times it feels like a pleasant yet aimless wander down memory lane. But the audience input keeps it fresh - you know you're getting a genuine one-off show when so much of the interaction is woven into his routine. These playful and cheeky exchanges influence the flow of the whole show in a way that very much depends on the crowd.
Which brings me to my next point - don't mess with Stephen K Amos, he knows how to deal with hecklers. Not that there was much heckling, but there was one audience member who chose not to play along. "What do you do?" Amos asked him. The guy replied, "well right now I’m watching you on stage.” Oh dear. Amos took a moment to put him in his place for being a “smartass”. “See, what you’ve done there is create an atmosphere. You’re what is known in the industry as a cockblock."
The audience participation starts right from the get go. There happens to be a dozen free seats in the second and third rows, so Amos invites a family he’d spotted before the show to come and sit down the front. He then invites anyone else to fill the remaining seats, and has a wee chat to them all. The family consists of Mum and Dad and their two teenage sons, who get a few risque punchlines aimed at them, just to really embarrass them in front of their parents.
Amos regales us with stories from his life which helped shape his "agenda", such as growing up with a dual heritage - Nigerian and British - and coming from a family with seven children. "Why!?" he shouts. "Seven children!! All in one house! I didn't even know I could have my own thoughts!" He might be lying about what his parents named his twin sister, but I'll leave you to decide. (No spoilers here!) There are hilarious impressions of his parents’ strong Nigerian accents and he talks about their use of old school discipline. Apparently his Mum addressed him as “bastaad”, and told him he was adopted to shut him up. He also pokes fun at racism. During a story about a holiday in Thailand he says “Sorry, I can’t do a Thai accent so I'll just do a generic Asian accent." The joke has us in stitches anyway, so he asks, "Did anyone think that was racist? No? Well how about this.." He points out that his comedy is meant to make you think as well as laugh, and he’s not out to offend anyone.
He has a clipboard of new jokes to test out, indicating that this show is still a work in progress. One that definitely worked was his killer farewell punchline for those teenagers down the front. “Boys, you’re at the age.. where you sometimes touch yourselves. In a special way. And now whenever you do… you’ll always remember my face.” he says, beaming down at them. Pure comedy evil, what a way to finish. I’m pretty sure it’s a show they won’t soon forget, but they might think twice about going to a stand up show with their parents next time.