Comedy Festival: David Correos in Better than I was last time
David Correos is not going to be for everyone. You should know that about his comedy. He is 100% for me, but I love the insanity.
I’ve seen him eat cat food, I’ve seen him put bike pumps where you shouldn’t put bike pumps and I’ve seen him light up audiences with an infectious enthusiasm that you can’t help but fall in love with. I’m a huge fan.
This show is not quite vintage Correos but it’s a bold newish direction for him and I respect that.
He’s still got his trademark weirdness and his face still tells a thousand punchlines, but he’s also adding more straight stand-up to his shows. And while not everything quite landed, the show definitely spent more time being funny than not.
It was a ‘preview’ show so he was working off some notes and there were clearly some unrehearsed technical bits that I expect would be ironed out as the season wore on, but it’s a show definitely worth seeing if conventional stand-up isn’t your bag and you like it a bit wild. I still am annoyed when a comic gets notes out on stage during a festival show as I reckon you should arrive at festival time with a polished and rehearsed performance.
His material still focuses on his background and growing up and he peppers his life stories with unbelievable-yet-true anecdotes of being a young Filipino growing up with strict parents which has the audience laughing along very loudly. There are fewer sight-gags and gimmicks this year, and while I might think the show is worse for that, I like David’s attempts to step outside his own comfort zone (though when stepping outside your own comfort zone means people *aren’t* simulating ejaculating on you with toothpaste then you know you’re a special creation).
The show ebbs and flows along before the last 20 minutes it bubbles up to a crescendo of relentless hilarity. Having seen as much stand-up comedy as I have, it takes a lot to make me laugh, but I think I spent nearly all of the last 20 minutes doubled over in laughter.
The writing needs work, and that will come. What he already has in spades is phenomenal stage presence, timing and a magical face to go with all his gags.
Definitely recommend.
David Correos in Better than I was last time
Wellington, Fringe Bar, May 14-18, 8.30pm
Auckland, Q Theatre, Vault, May 22-25, 10:00pm
Full price: $24
Concession: $20
Group 6+: $20
