Ricky Gervais - 'SCIENCE', The Edinburgh Playhouse, 25th August 09
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Last night at the Edinburgh Playhouse, Ricky Gervais premiered his brand new comedy tour, 'Science'. He returns to the slightly less 'Fame'ous venue after rocking the 8000 seater Edinburgh Castle at last years International Festival. His cocky advertising campaign at the West End raised many the eyebrow and even a few 'what an arsehole' comments from the polite Edinburgh peoples. Priced above all other comedians at the festival, the banner read, 'Ricky Gervais at Edinburgh Castle is Sold Out - What a Pointless Billboard'.
Well this year he is back selling Science with a picture of himself....Obviously. Dressed as Frankenstein with a green face, red lips and a bolt through his neck, I can't help noticing how feminine he looks. It isn't the first time Gervais has pulled from film icons to promote himself. He recently branded himself 'The Podfather' by sticking his face on Marlon Brando's sacred torso. Previous topical tours like 'Flanimals', have cushioned the cheeky (Simon Cowell dressing) chaps pockets with even more dollars. However, it looks like the man who built his reputation from 'The Office', has finally run out of chuckle ingredients and his final product falls short of his giant build up.
The support act fades into the background as Gervais prepares the audience for his arrival with a post interval, 5 minute promo video about himself.... Obviously. The video, watched by the few audience members that aren't stuck in the toilet queue shouts, 'love me, I've made it in America, watch this trailer of me!!!' It;s not that subtle and not partiularly clever.
There is a booming welcome from the invisible compere and Gervais makes his entrance to rapturous applause. After the show, I was confused at my own participation in this applause. I wondered what had mad me clap like a loon before Gervais had even opened his mouth or explained the need for his decked out set. I began to wonder if little flanimals with signs saying CLAP! had flown across the stage before his entrance forcing me to show my appreciation. I exited the theatre feeling so underwhelmed that I wondered how Gervais had brainwashed me into even attending in the first place.
It is perhaps worth mentioning that Gervais requested something from the Front of House department. (Although I'd love to reveal at this point that he requested a Bengal tiger in his dressing room bedecked with tunnocks tea cakes, i admit it was something rather simpler but still revealing of his ego.) He asked the Front of House staff to refuse entry to any latecomers once he was on stage. Therefore audience members were granted access to the Playhouse and lulled into a false sense of security that they had free roam foh during the support act and interval. The poor sods that were standing at the bar, chatting about their trip to the Guinness factory and how to pull the perfect pint, were shocked to suddenly be denied access to their seats when Gervais arrived earlier than expected on stage. Luckily, thanks to the discretion's and helpfulness of the Playhouse staff, nobody lost out by standing in the bar watching him on screen. When questioned as to why Gervais didn't like latecomers, the response was that 'he gets easily distracted'.
I guess he got easily distracted anyway. He deviated completely from the 'Science' headline. Maybe he could have written it on his hand, or a post it.. just a suggestion. Dan Antopolski, winder of this year's 'Funniet Joke at the Fringe Award', had bullet points about the structure of his act written on a piece of paper and sellotaped to the edge of his we stage. Lets just say, there are ways around not having the best memory or being easily distracted.
Mislead by the Frankenstein's grotto set and the title in lights reading 'SCIENCE', the audience sits and waits for Gervais to meander his thought pattern somewhere, anywhere in fact!! They have faith that any second now it will all become clear and he will make some observational comments about the ever expanding and controversial topic of Global Science! There's plenty to cover! Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard and many Mock the week regulars manage to make the latest scientific breakthrough, or failed space mission into a laughable matter. Gervais' 'science' however seemed to me more about the science of the mind. He concluded his night admitting that he 'lied' about the shows topic, that he hoped he could use the umbrella title of the show to cover his usual material of prejudice, human interaction and homosexuality.
At about 9pm, Gervais picks up a kiddy book and begins to read the biblical tale of Noah and the Arc aloud to the audience. To help them giggle along, he provides a giant version of the book on the screen above his head and patronisingly uses a giant light-saberesque pointer to highlight particularly hilarious discrepancies in the tale. It worked, i laughed at his observations till I realised that I was in a room with over 3000 people reading with Ricky Gervais. I was paying how much for this! I could do this at home and find it funny!
To wrap up, his became unreserved and quite plainly rather offensive. I noted that a gay friend left the auditorium in disgust as Gervais rambled about the pointlessness of gay marriage while making crude homo sex jokes. At times, the audience around me was silent in anticipation of the jokes funny climax. With faith, generated from previously great experiences in Ricky's company, they waited for the corker of a joke to appear. The laughter did come in bursts but I wonder how long Ricky can rely on his previous attainments.
Eventually, the audience will loose interest and expect more from their self hyped comedian. I continue to have every faith that he will find the balance between 'The Office' prejudiced and cliched jokester and the quirky 'Falminals' inventor. Perhaps the real magic of Gervais is his ability to big himself up. His overwhelming confidence does enough to assure his fan base to return time and time again to his new projects and support him. From 'The Office' to 'Extras' to 'Ghost Town', Gervais seems to succeed but he is continually haunted by this comment: 'that it was good, but nowhere near as good as the office.'
Peaked too soon comes to mind. Think if I ask nicely, he'll use that make shift laboratory of his to make me some 'draft of superstar confidence'?? I could do with a boost.
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