Adam Flood’s dad-based material can feel sensitive, personal, and funny, but at other times awkward and strangely disjointed. He struggles to get going early on, but once he finds his feet, he takes you through his relationship with his father and the joys of men dealing – or failing at dealing – with their mental health. Attempting to open up to your father, to try and get these grizzled old men to display some sort of emotion is difficult, but Adam Flood’s message is simple – pushing it down does us no good, however funny it is in a standup set.
However, you do find yourself wishing that some of Flood’s more misguided jokes could have been pushed down slightly and, at certain points, he launches into long diatribes where you wonder where he can possibly be going with it; the answer ends up being nowhere. The room is left in a kind of tentative chuckle rather than the hearty laughter he was going for. One extremely ill-considered joke about Anne Frank was grimace worthy rather than guffaw worthy.
The finest moments in the show come during delightful little musical numbers about his dad. Their content is deadpan and dry, but he performs them with an infectious comedic flair. A heartfelt conclusion, complete with callback to crowd interactions, also helps to bring a somewhat rocky show to a heartfelt, poignant conclusion.
Adam Flood: Back of the Spoon, 22.05, Monkey Barrel, Until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/adam-flood-back-of-the-spoon
