Chris Ramsey: Sunday 19th October – Sheffield City Hall
There is a very good chance that, in the last few years , Chris Ramsey will have popped up on your radar. After his starring role as Jack Pearson in BBC Two’s Hebburn, and his appearances on numerous TV shows such as Mock the Week and Celebrity Juice, this cheeky Northerner is nothing short of hilarious. However, he has primarily made waves within the stand-up circuit.
Born and raised in South Shields, he left his film degree at the University of Sunderland to pursue a career in stand-up. After being compere to an open-mic night in Newcastle, and being nominated for a Chortle award, he took his first solo show on the road four years ago, and has been successful ever since.
This performance at the City Hall was a testament to Ramsey’s success. It wasn’t the first time I had seen him live – that happened as part of his previous stand-up offering ‘Feeling Lucky’. But, after such a side-splittingly funny show last time, I knew that this offering – ‘The Most Dangerous Man on Saturday Morning Television’ – would be no different.
He even had the same support act, in the shape of fellow comedian Carl Hutchinson. He was hysterical last time, and after hearing Chris introducing him, I knew the show would get off to a flying start. With highlights including McDonald’s clever marketing in Manchester, to forming his new group ‘The Chipped Tooth Brothers’ whilst swapping stories in the gym, his humour-driven take on the nuances of his life was a fantastic start to the show. This man is definitely one to watch.
After the interval, it was Chris’s turn. After a condiment-filled introduction (a story involving confusion with a Subway order), he launched into his material. The show was mainly about the incident which spawned the title, (without spoiling things too much, it involved an unfortunate faux pas on Soccer AM). However, Chris punctuates the story with side-splitting asides and tangents, such as his displeasure of people’s preferences when disposing of toilet roll, and his attempts to channel his inner James Bond whilst on holiday with a girl – and left the audience (including myself) in stitches.
In short, both comedians were energetic, quick-witted and genuinely nice guys (they both stayed at the end to sign merchandise and pose for photos) – and it was a pleasure seeing them the second time around.
Reviewed by Jenny Newton for Sheffield Live!