Paul Tonkinson Review

Paul Tonkinson

‘Anyone pop ‘Es’?’ Paul Tonkinson is met with embarrassed silence. ‘Cocaine?’ Indeed, like many a man coping with the trials of a mid-life crisis, Tonkinson tries very hard to appear both dynamic and exciting and fails on both accounts. His subject seems all the more apt given his propensity towards using ‘mother f**ker’ (ludicrous in a Yorkshire accent) and snapping his hands like an aging Ali G (only without the irony). To be fair the Yorkshire comedian’s jesting does attract laughs, but the subjects of choice are generic and tired: marriage problems, kids, and oral sex, all discussed ad infinitum. We are also treated to the predictable opening barrage of finding out where people are from and what their relationship to the closest member of the opposite sex is. ‘She’s a friend is she?’ Nudge Nudge, wink wink. I also had the misfortune of being in an audience with a Scot, Liverpudlian and New Yorker, all perched on the front row; clearly prime targets for your run-of-mill regional stereotyping. Predictable material aside, the laughs kept coming, but this is due to the veteran comedian’s presence and honed delivery more than anything else. This is standard stuff from Tonkinson, and his lack of ambition and imagination in writing are only saved from the abyss by his natural abilities and comfort on stage. For anyone looking for cutting edge comedy that goes beyond the ordinary, look elsewhere.