Following four postponements and more than two years later, comedian Rob Beckett finally made it to the Music Hall and wasted no more time to tickle Aberdeen fans’ funny bones before giving them a right ‘wallop’.
Kicking things off by asking audience members whether this level of rain and wind was the norm up here, Rob said he had “massive respect” for those who showed up to see his Aberdeen debut – even Simon and Penelope who arrived a bit late.
And look, you might get away with rushing to your seat 20 minutes late if you book balcony tickets, but you simply have to expect to be called out on your tardiness by a comedian if you sit at the front.
What the couple may not have expected, though, was to be asked by Rob to walk up to the stage to show him their tickets so he could make sure they booked to see his show Wallop.
“Oh yeah, it does say 8pm, mate – just double-checking,” said Rob to the laughing room.
“But in your defence, it also says June 5,” he added quickly.
Rob Beckett delivers great night of comedy in Aberdeen
It was really great to see a comedian who is often part of TV programmes such as Would I Lie To You?, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Cats Does Countdown, have such a good rapport with fans in real life.
And audience participation actually ended up being a huge part of the gig. From Paul who works at a psychiatric hospital to the care workers in the front row and even Amy with a quirky nickname, Rob was always quick to come up with witty responses.
When he wasn’t chatting to his fans, the self-proclaimed ‘Mouth of the south’ joked about being married to someone posh and the never-ending struggles with his in-laws who almost speak a different language.
Alarmingly honest and naturally funny, Rob talked about his experience of going from bringing his own food to weddings to discussing how a Le Creuset dish was simply too deep for a tagine with his wife’s family.
Worth the wait as well as braving the chilly conditions
Personally, I also very much enjoyed his gag about posh people and families who ski – but certainly not as much as my ski instructor boyfriend who was sitting next to me. Scarily accurate, the ‘Apres ski’ jokes and Benidorm comparisons received a massive round of applause.
When he was done poking fun at his large family (30 cousins?!) and their ‘resting smiling faces’, Rob took a dig at Mary Poppins Returns – especially Lin Manuel Miranda’s cockney accent. To say Rob wasn’t a fan would be an understatement.
But those in Aberdeen were certainly big fans of the comedian’s self-deprecating humour and his final joke – and outfit change – made everyone in the audience laugh so hard they momentarily forgot they needed to brave the cold and wind again on their way home.
What a great gig – well worth the wait.
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