Based on real events that he experienced last year, Dave Bloustien’s show The Social Contract describes a horror gig that he performed at and the resulting legal wrangle that he had to contend with.
This was a show that all performers would relate to,often with cringeworthy detail. It wasn’t all entertainment industry talk, as he had a wonderful way of telling the story that the casual punter could find immensely entertaining. Dave mixed factual information and historical quotes to illustrate various points of the tale which were in stark contrast to the numerous pop culture references that he used as the basis for many of the jokes. This made the material much more accessible for those erroneously assuming they would be subjected to an hour of legalese. He even admitted to not being knowledgeable about the law and effectively used this ignorance to create some wonderfully silly concepts that were hilarious. Adding to the humour was the clear illustration that he had clearly dwelled on the minutae for a bit too long, resulting in a unique twist on the material.
Years of experience in writing comedy combined with the direction of Alan Brough resulted in a tight show that was all killer and no filler. The odd weak joke or pun was treated to some self referential play that ensured that the laughs remained at an elevated level. There was possibly some rope thrown into the mix but the structure of the show was so solid that it slipped in covertly.
He utilised a classic structure in which each point of the story contained a number of small jokes that built to a large one resulting in maximum audience laughter. It was a rhythm that was comfortable and effective. Dave occasionally went off on brief tangents but he had the experience to be able to reel himself back and keep the story progressing. While not being the biggest stage presence, he had the impressive ability to keep the audience glued to his every word through his enthusiasm alone.
The Social Contract was a brilliant show. Dave’s wonderful ability to tell a story had the punters constantly laughing.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.