Who: Will Duggan
Where: Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
Why:
When most comedians, particularly some of the bigger names on telly, spin you a ‘funny thing happened to me on the way to…’ yarn, you know it’s utter bollocks. And that’s totally fine, as long as the payoff is worth it. In the case of Will Duggan, there is something about him that makes you believe every single word.
Perhaps it’s the conviction with which he conveys each disgruntled syllable, or the naked sincerely of his dismay, but somehow it makes perfect sense that the man before you would be the unwitting victim of circumstance on a regular basis. It makes you want to follow him around and take guilty pleasure in his many micro misfortunes.
Whether it’s negotiating airport security with terrorism tourette’s, dealing with an errant finger in the mouth courtesy of his Iranian barber, or awkwardly walking in the exact same direction and identical pace as a sex worker, Duggan has a penchant for cringeworthy capers and a wonderfully droll way of regaling his woes.
The deadpan material is enhanced by his expert crowd work. Duggan’s exceptionally quick wit and lack of vanity means emboldened participants are allowed to share in the laughs and it makes for great value repartee. Even his indignation is generous as he essentially plays the audience member’s straight man.
Unusually for a 20-minute set, Duggan infuses the laughs with moments of real pathos. There are light touch references to relationships gone awry and even a bit on the ultimate effects of his macular degeneration. This is allied with the kind of tragicomic face that wouldn’t look out of place in Buster Keaton era silent cinema.
Duggan makes references to past employment in education and catering, but really, you can’t imagine him doing anything other than making people laugh on stage. In spite of the cranky mardarse act, there is something extremely endearing about him. You really want him to win at life – even though his failures are so very funny.
We saw Will Duggan at the Frog and Bucket Comedy Club in Manchester. You can find out more about his future dates here.
