Gareth Waugh wants to get to know you before he cracks on. He glances around the room, picks a few people out, and asks them where they’re from, what their name is, what they do. He likes to prod and tease, but more than that he wants to gauge the room’s temperature and foster as upbeat an environment as best he can. Waugh does not want to shock you with a pitch black, caustic tongue – he’s in love, and he wants to spread some of the love around.
It is admittedly difficult to do that if you struggle to get the audience going and some people aren’t playing along. Waugh can end up flailing slightly as he tries to strike up some connection; it just doesn’t quite click in many instances. Once he gets into his rhythm, however, he can rattle off quips and sprawling anecdotes with a smooth rapidity. He’ll lead you through some humourous gaffes and fables about meeting his longtime partner, shoddy nightclubs, malevolent football players and a run-in with an overzealous pheasant.
While the payoffs to his tales, on the most part, land, you are sometimes left wishing that he could come to the point with a bit more purpose and draw a bit more momentum from the room. When approaching the eventual crux of his show – his partner – his storytelling is rock-solid, however, and the affection is palpable. Gareth Waugh has a charming personability and will leave you with a warm feeling in your heart, it’s just a shame the execution is sometimes lacking.
Gareth Waugh – This Guy, 16:45, The Stand, until August 26
