Who: Lloyd Griffith
Where: The Frog and Bucket, Manchester
Why:
The title of Lloyd Griffith’s show is ‘All Rounder’, although he jokes that he considered ‘One Ton of Fun’ as an alternative. In fairness it could easily have been called ‘Don’t be a Dick’, as that’s the broad theme running through it. What is evident from the outset is that Griffith is both bursting with talent, and indeed not a dick.
‘All Rounder’ is right for a man whose CV boasts comedian, choral singer, impressionist, mimic, TV presenter, commentator, part-time goalkeeper and even more part-time Deliveroo driver. But you get the sense that Griffith almost uses the term in a self-deprecating sense – especially in an age when everyone requires a niche.
He laments the fact that he can’t be described as ‘the posh one’ or ‘the edgy one’ like other comics. But with Griffith that’s a strength rather than any sort of disadvantage. There are that many strings to his bow, it would be a pity if he were to narrow down to stereotype. In fact it is to his credit that he actively avoids that.
Griffith is probably most widely known for presenting Soccer AM, and he could so easily have leaned heavily into football lad culture to grow a huge following that way. But that’s not him. Instead he is a funny, charming, self-effacing comic who very obviously gains great joy from making people laugh. It is evident in the way he feeds off the audience.
As much as Griffith paints himself as a blank canvas, he has a fascinating story that enriches his material. Hailing from Grimsby – “the UK capital for Lottery winners and rehoused paedophiles” – he was plucked from a local comprehensive and placed in a posh choir school. There they honed his talent but polished away his accent.
Griffith’s sumptuous singing voice is certainly used to great effect here – to elicit both gasps and guffaws. Likewise his impersonations are a crowd-pleasing treat. Not that it’s a series of party tricks. His experiences growing up give him a unique slant on class dynamics, whilst television fame has brought with it its own downsides.
Which brings us back to the non-dickhead theme. Whether it’s lamenting the toxicity of the darker elements of the Twitterverse, or negotiating road rage on his moped, Griffith pokes fun at the smallness and ultimate futility of being a dick. His hour is very welcome respite from the current climate of cuntitude we live in.
We saw Lloyd Griffith at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester. You can find out more about his future dates here.
