Ross Noble: On the Go

This show sees Ross Noble continually on the go in terms of his train of thought and his physical movement. Both indicate hyperactivity and there is a frequent suggestion of mania that is disarmingly captivating. Noble takes a very risky approach to stand-up comedy and has a very loose structure to the show, if any at all. This is part of the skill and charm that he displays which produces a complex web of impressions, observations and inner workings of an extremely busy mind.

There are times when Noble’s connection with the audience may waver, but he patiently reels the audience back in. He achieves this through what can be described as an obsessive commentary on some of the most banal and simple audience behaviours. His forte is the ability to transform minute details, such as a simple hand gesture, into larger-than-life concerns.

Noble has a tendency to digress and pursue various threads that weave together his observation of the crowd as well as disturbing world events. This is strangely, yet cleverly, turned into a virtue. It is designed to keep the audience firmly on their toes and to even have them contemplate why they may or may not find Noble’s jokes amusing. His style of humour is bawdy, abrupt and sometimes even crass but it is always compelling, although for reasons that can be difficult to discern.

Patricia Di Risio