Review Lockipedia
Sean Lock's encyclopaedic approach to comedy
Review: Lockipedia
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A suited, booted and bespectacled middle aged dad-of-three. On appearance alone, the last thing you would expect the star of Channel 4’s ‘8 out of 10 Cats’, ‘TV Heaven, Telly Hell’ and BBC’s ‘QI’ to be is funny. But think again.
Sean Lock finds humour in the absurdity of the everyday, sharing a knowing wink of everyday experience with the audience. “It’s a funny old world…” he muses with a wry smile. His mostly sedate delivery can offer humour with the slightest raise of an eyebrow. His enthusiastic imitation of Madonna’s dancing on the other hand consists of a quasi startling romp around the stage and definitely brings a certain surrealism to the show – althoughh the audience seem to recognise where he’s coming from.
As the title suggests, there is no strict theme to the show, rather a series of entertaining observations connected merely by bemused audience members picked at random via a game of ‘seating-plan battleships’ and asked to think of any word as a subject for him to discuss.
Although seemingly caught off guard at times, his lack of preparation is all part of the joke – his knowledge deficit rather likening him to the online encyclopaedia the title of his show mimics.
This leads to the show having a certain spontaneity that other stand-ups often lack. One moment he could be talking about Katie Price’s tan being the same colour as hangover urine, the next he’s discussing his somewhat bizarre fantasy of having an internal car horn to display his displeasure at everyday niggling events.
There are more obvious facets to his act, such as the credit crunch, Nick Griffin and the ageing process however it is the bizarre approach he takes towards these subjects that renders Lock’s act so unique. With such a wide range of topics covered, there is without doubt something for everyone, even if you have to sit through the parts that aren’t really for you.
He may look like Mister Average but Lock’s charm lies in the unexpected and the duality of his performance. His bizarre approach to the human condition quickly dispels this false image – he is anything but average.
Sean Lock appeared at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on 27 June
Posted on Thursday 1st July 2010
Amelia Jones
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UP
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