WORLD EXCLUSIVE Michael McIntyre: Showtime Review

Does Michael McIntyre's latest live tour live up to its predecessors?
Reviewing comedy live tours is always an interesting business, as the perceived quality of one single showing from the comedian in question could vary considerably from other shows and indeed the compilation DVD. On top of that, reviewing the show of someone so renowned for laughs as Michael McIntyre- who brought us the fantastic Live And Laughing and Hello Wembley in years gone by- carries with it a certain level of high expectations. So, the question is this- does McIntyre's new gig Showtime live up to the hype?

To be totally honest, not quite. There were times over the course of Showtime where I was in absolute hysterics, revelling and totally amazed at the intelligence and wit with which McIntyre could muster countless jokes and memorable gags. However, there were also several instances where while I found myself laughing, the chuckles felt a little more forced and hollow than they had when watching the man's previous live DVDs. This could have been the result of a unlucky weak showing on the comedian's part, but I'd wager that there's no such thing in the case of Michael here, so my criticism falls down to many of his jokes relying upon the same established tropes and gestures of his past comedy acts. This is not necessarily a bad thing of course, yet I just felt that McIntyre retreated into his 'safe zone' of campness and frivolity to restore his humorous facade for a little while longer in spite of the opportunities to bring new depth and intelligence into his comedy setpieces.

All the same, Michael McIntyre's Showtime (at the London O2) was packed with hilarious jokes, truly showing off the comedian's talent for luring his audience into a false sense of understanding security before levelling new and brilliant gags to keep them in hysterics for sustained periods. Perhaps this isn't up there with McIntyre's best shows, yet it's still more than worth your time either at any remaining live shows or on DVD and Blu-Ray for Christmas.
Michael McIntyre's Showtime releases on DVD and Blu-Ray on November 12th.

4/5