Seann Walsh

• Brian Donaldson
• 16 August 2010

This article is from 2010.

Making the humdrum hilarious

If you were to sit down and read a full synopsis of Seann Walsh’s debut hour, it might come across as the dullest thing ever. The subjects he takes as his inspiration for comedy would make Michael McIntyre seem like the merged resurrection of Bill Hicks and Mitch Hedberg. When you hear Walsh set up a gag about falling asleep while standing up on public transport or how you should react when tripping over while walking down the street, it would be perfectly understandable if your legs were to involuntarily thrust you towards the exit door.

But somehow, Walsh pulls magical wordplay or a perfectly judged physical gag out of the fire even when he’s talking about people-watching or going through his list of people he’d love to randomly punch. Indeed, there’s a burning rage going on in Walsh’s stage persona which would certainly serve him well should he ever wish to take on weightier subjects. For now, let’s be content to just sit back and revel in how the ordinary can sometimes be hilarious.

Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 8.30pm, £11–£12 (£9.50–£11).