Ross Noble’s Tangentlemen

I’ve found comedians will tend to fall into two categories; those who harness their energy and stand behind their mic, or those whose energy can’t be contained to one spot on the stage. For the latter, you will witness a great deal of physical humour, all sorts of wicked movement to be humoured by.

It is for this kind of comedy that we find ourselves at the grandeur of the Palais Theatre on the St Kilda foreshore. Ross Noble has a fantastic kinaesthetic energy that is best accessed in a large scale space, and this magnificent facility seems only fitting.

The unique ability of Ross to captivate and involve his audience is immediate, as we are instructed to avoid ‘getting humped by a wizard’. You can quickly understand why he’s been able to fill such a big room;  his following is huge, his shows sell out and his fans love his fantastic imagination, which is demonstrated by a huge round of laughter after his very first joke.

There seems to be a total lack of direction to his act; a hilarious stream of outrageous chatter and banter that leaves you wondering where he’s headed next. He will stream off on one tangent, only to interrupt himself moments later for a story that was definitely more important than the last. No topic is safe and by the end of the evening we’ve managed to cover oral stimulation with a variety of animals, dress codes in conjunction with religious ideologies and some very provoking Harry Potter and Frozen references.

His improvisation proves to be valuable in filling a 2 hour time space, and the audience rides every wave with him on a continuous track of laughter. The precariousness of his jokes is often tested, as many audience members look to their friends with total shock at what is being said. But it is this unique style that Ross delivers best, and if are looking for a comedian to test the boundaries with, it definitely ought to be check out the Tangentleman show.

And yes, Ross, there was someone reviewing the show. I’ll be sure to remain discreet.