In a six and a half minute opening song to Rob Rouse’s two-hour set he warns that he enjoys things that go on for too long – and whatever else, he’s not joking about that.
This is a high energy and enjoyable show but some parts are teased out that bit too far. The majority of the first half is devoted to an extended routine about a medical examination for the older gentlemen. It’s not a new topic for comedy and while Rouse gives a particularly personal take on it, it doesn’t quite deserve the airtime it receives.
Similarly jokes around adorned body parts for Zoom calls or making the most of value reading glasses are funny – to begin with. But these 30 second pieces of silliness are extended to several minutes. Repetition can be a big part of comedy, but these go on for just that bit too long. To bring in another of Rouse’s topics: they are overdue a snip.
The show ends with a section on his trusty dog Ron, prefaced with audience memories of their own past pets. Here, as earlier in the show, Rouse’s work with the audience is confident and generally rewarding, thinking on his feet and weaving them in around the scripted show. This spontaneous material shows him at his best. His routine on the menopause is also something more of a surprise, and all the more entertaining for it.
But overall stories of funny things animals (and children) do are comedy perennials and while Rouse delivers them with enough chutzpah to keep the audience tittering, there is not much innovation in the planned set. It’s familiar and fun, but also slightly forgettable – something you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the brash opening.
- Rob Rouse: Funny Bones at Norwich Theatre Stage Two. Touring nationally.
