REVIEW: Grandiloquent/Gary Gulman, Soho Theatre
Boston stand-up comedian focuses on self-depracating observational humour
They say write about what you know, and one comedian who has mastered this to a very fine art is Gary GuIman, the US comedy sensation whose European debut was at Soho Theatre this week.
Gary is that rare type of stand-up comedian, someone whose work is honest and intellectual, sensitively devised and beautifully crafted, yet nonetheless thoroughly entertaining and very funny.
Brought up in a Jewish household in Boston, Gary’s life was not always easy. His parents divorced when he was just one (or one and a half, as his mother would insist on saying). And Gary’s life has been plagued by mental health issues. You may be wondering how any of this could be funny. But Gary’s show Grandiloquent is hugely funny because his self-deprecating humour, his observation of the people he encounters, and his perception and intelligence, come together for a stunning performance that relies on skill to create a beautifully crafted show.
Fêted in the USA where he plays to sell out shows, the New York Times says: “Gulman takes wordplay to another level with an acuity that few other stand-ups can match. His awareness of himself and the world around him is peerless.” His appearance in London was a wonderful opportunity for UK audiences to enjoy his show.
Billed as a hilarious new performance about insecurity, empathy, self-acceptance and how a thoughtful boy learned to use humour, reading and writing to cope with the consequences of his parents’ blunders, Gary’s performance was clever and accomplished.
For Gary, 55, the run was been a dream come true. “I first came to London when I was 32 and always wanted to return to play to British audiences,” says Gary, “but I wanted the time to be right, because I know New York audiences are very difference to London ones. When I performed Grandiloquent in New York I felt that this would be the right show to perform in London. I came here with my family, and we have fallen in love with the city. The audiences have been great. I find the London audiences so erudite and so open. After the shows one of the best things has been the people coming up to talk to me and share their experiences.
“I have been staying in Soho and love the warmth of the people who intersect with the area. It reminds me of where I live back home. I am in Harlem and there I enjoy the neighbourliness and sense of community. It is more working class than somewhere like Manhattan and there is more compassion and it is much friendlier.”
Although Gary’s comedy is not solely Jewish comedy, he says that there is no doubt that the act of being Jewish and a comedian do go in tandem. He knew from the age of seven that he wanted to do stand-up. He started by practising on his school friends and the people he encountered, trying out lines, and honed his skill. It was not until after his university degree, he won a football scholarship to Boston College, when he was working as an accountant at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers, aged 23, that he did his fist stand up gig and thought :”I can do this for the rest of my life. This is what I want to do. To connect to people and to express myself.”
When Gary first performed, he found it cathartic to connect his ideas and saw how the mundane and the trivial help an audience to open up.
“It took me ten years to reach good mental health,” he said “and I realised that when you open up about your foibles and mental health, when you have self-acceptance, when you accept your insecurity, you can find resolution.”
Gary describes a lot of American comedy as being very Jewish. He says many of the original comedy greats were Jewish and their styles, their sensibilities, the cadences of their voices, and they mannerisms, became part and parcel of wider comedy. It was a particular style that was unusual, with men being so verbal, speaking and not being interrupted, and so Gary’s work, even when he is referencing subjects that are not specifically Jewish, has a Jewish warmth and connection.
Gary’s performances are on many themes. His The Great Depresh, a tour-de-force look at mental illness, in parts hilarious and inspiring, was a huge success. He has also appeared in the international blockbuster Joker and co-starred with Amy Schumer in the hit Hulu comedy series Life & Beth.
He says he can’t wait to return to London. “I would love to come back in two year’s time which will give me time to create a new show for the audiences. “
Having been given a standing ovation by his audience, there’s no doubt tickets will sell out fast when he returns to the UK. If you missed him this time, make sure you catch him on his next trip.
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