Comedian Richard Gadd returns to the Soho theatre stage with his (fresh off the Fringe) show titled Breaking Gadd- the sequel to his critically acclaimed Cheese and Crack Whores.
This show is about a man named Gadd, (surprise, surprise) who has lost his memory after a mysterious accident. Gadd desperately tries to piece back together the details of his lost life with the help of a picture he found in his pocket after the accident and a few sessions of regressive hypnosis performed by his disturbingly perverted therapist. Once Gadd starts to successfully assemble the missing pieces to the puzzle he suddenly realizes the harsh truth- some lives are better left forgotten.
Richard Gadd is a good actor, there’s no doubt about it, he acts with his eyes; going from possessed to innocent in seconds and blending the funny with the disturbing in that special way that only dark comedians do. I could tell by the young, artsy, eccentric crowd that filled the theatre to the brim on the night I attended, that this show deserves its’ “Skinny Fringe Genius Award Nomination for Innovation and Originality.”
This is not your typical one-man comedy show- Gadd is well supported by an array of carefully thought out multimedia as well as actor Peter Henderson who portrays Gadd’s gay, sort of-kind of, lover/stalker/friend (it’s unclear but fun to watch nonetheless.)
The downsides are: the show’s self-deprecating nature, the cheap, occasional shock value and perhaps one gay joke too many. If you are into tame, situational comedy then this probably is not your cup of tea, but if you like the dark, the absurd and the crudely funny than you are sure to enjoy every semi-offensive minute of it.
Yes, Breaking Gadd is excessive and wild, but if you are hitting up a comedy show at 10PM on a weekday in the heart of SOHO than perhaps its just wild enough for you.
Reviewed by Jacqueline Silvester
