Michael McIntyre

Published Thursday 19 August 2004 at 13:15 by Helena Thompson

Michael McIntyre is a skilled performer. Taking comedy to a new extreme, he makes the art of good gags look effortless. Anxious to keep the audience involved, he sets as much store by improvised interaction as by carefully prepared material.

All in an hour’s energetic work, he ridicules broadsheets, criticises drivers and makes fun of coffee shops. From folding newspapers like linen to impersonating road rage, he never shies away from a bit of drama. To his credit, this show full of swear words and punter-abuse is nothing short of a delight.

All the more engaging for his pacey delivery and off the cuff candour, McIntyre weds some brilliant word play with a strong sense of what will keep people listening. Under the guise of guileless disarray, he timing is meticulous. Cue a clever production that feels fresh as conversation with an old friend.

Of course, long-standing chums do not tend to pick on people watching them with quite McIntyre’s relish. Nor are they likely to leap about by way of illustrating their anecdotes. It is greatly to his credit that, for all his capering, this young comedian remains unflaggingly credible. This 2003 Perrier Newcomer nominee deserves to be a winner.