Scott’s on a mission to help his flatmate become a stand-up comedian through the healing power of laughter, and enlists the help of comedian Russell Howard to offer guidance after the hopeful’s first two gigs go spectacularly wrong.
The show centres on Scott’s flatmate Fraser’s attempt to make people laugh as part of what he calls “Doctor Comedy” – a quest to heal people through comedy. Having bombed badly in his first two attempts (lasting just 15 seconds at the Comedy Store, then trying an ill-advised drag outfit), Fraser gets his third chance at a gig where Russell Howard is on hand to help analyse footage and offer tips.
The team had earlier brainstormed increasingly absurd ideas to help Fraser succeed, including making him wear a dog shock collar that would be activated if he wasn’t getting laughs – an idea deemed “barbaric” by management and rejected. They’d also had Chris Scott donate a comically oversized suit for Fraser to wear on stage.
When reviewing Fraser’s third gig footage, Russell and Scott pick apart the material: Fraser opens by interacting with the crowd in the style of Chris Scott, which works reasonably well. He handles a heckler effectively, turning it back on them with a quip that gets laughs. However, his material about looking young and being mistaken for a 16-year-old – which bombed the previous night – lands better this time, though his delivery is undermined by him laughing at his own jokes longer than the audience does. Crucially, the joke’s punchline about girls “his age” not “putting out” attracts unwanted attention from a policeman in the audience, and Fraser then spends far too long trying to convince everyone he’s not a sex offender. Russell and Scott agree he’s improving, but the show can only air so much of his set due to content concerns.
Russell rounds out the conversation with stories about the open-mic comedy circuit, including a memorable tale about a comedian called Rob in Bristol who stoically continued his act while being urinated on by a heckler – a moment Russell’s brother still considers his favourite moment in comedy.
COMMENTS