Bec Hill In… Ellipsis, London
Now that being a geek is a badge of honour rather than something to be embarrassed about, comedians such as Bec Hill can exult in their unashamed nerdiness. This Australian’s obsession is particularly niche: she loves making paper-cutout animations, kind of like a pop-up book in sketchpad form. These form a big part of her stage act, allied to a barrage of deliberately silly gags and an infectiously positive attitude. Ellipsis is inspired by an awestruck encounter with New Adventures Of Superman star Dean Cain (see what we mean about her being a geek), which led Hill to a hubristic pledge: come what may, she was going to come up with an award-winning show. It’s not the most appealing prospect for an evening’s entertainment (does anyone care about comedy awards as much as comedians?), but Hill manages to turn it into a daffy and ultimately uplifting hour.
Upstairs, Soho Theatre, W1, Tue to 10 Jan
Gein’s Family Giftshop: Volume 1, On tour
Sketch trio Gein’s Family Giftshop are proud of their north-west roots, and they certainly provide a brand of comedy far removed from the off-the-peg sub-Mitchell and Webb conceptualism peddled by many of their southern counterparts. Theirs is a dark and sinister comic world, peopled by misfits and frequently erupting in explosions of gore. You can see all sorts of interesting influences at work here – there’s a strong debt to Chris Morris’s Blue Jam, as well as a dash of Limmy, and a sprinkling of The League Of Gentlemen in the Giftshop’s genetic makeup. But rather than slavishly homaging their heroes, Kath Hughes, Ed Easton and James Meehan (plus non-performing member Kiri Pritchard-McLean) conjure something that feels very now. You may need a strong stomach to cope with some of their ideas but, given that they take their name from a murderer who skinned corpses to make a suit, you can’t say you haven’t been warned.
Tony Law: Enter The Tonezone, London
For years, Tony Law has trafficked in a particularly free-wheeling form of surrealistic whimsy. Dressed erratically, he bellows non sequiturs at his audience, seemingly free of rhyme or reason. Enter The Tonezone sees more of this glorious stuff, but it’s accessorised this time by a newly introspective air. Following the death of his beloved dog last year, Law’s mind has become increasingly preoccupied by mortality, and this sensibility provides an unexpected undercurrent to the usual wild careering. It’s easy to turn armchair psychologist and suggest this kind of bleakness lies at the heart of any surrealist comic, with the absurdities they pile up reflecting a fundamental belief that life is pointless. But such philosophising shouldn’t distract us from noticing that Law is better than ever in this new show: indeed he’s getting funnier with every passing year.
Downstairs, Soho Theatre, W1, to 17 Jan
