Dave Gorman – PowerPoint To The People
Saturday, April 1
The Hexagon
0118 960 6060
VISITORS to Dave Gorman’s show at a packed Hexagon theatre were able to enjoy plenty of click and collect, plus a healthy dose of name dropping.
The comedian with a black belt in PowerPoint slides, came to Reading to showcase his eye for fine detail and a nose for a perfect gag with his laughter packed show that left audiences wanting more, even though he had entertained them for more than two hours.
The set-up was fairly similar to his Modern Life Is Goodish series on Dave: there’s a theme, and a loose collection of vignettes are cleverly woven together to form a satisfying, coherent whole.
In some ways he is like Ronnie Corbett from his Two Ronnies days, sat in the chair telling shaggy dog story after shaggy dog story to get to the point. In others, he’s like Ringo Starr.
Part of his success lies in making you feel as if he’s your mate, chatting to you down the pub, filling you in the various escapades he’s had since you last caught up. Relaxed and friendly, warm and engaging, quick witted and funny, Dave Gorman is a master storyteller, and also hilarious. He delights in our laughter, and sometimes gets caught up in our joy.
The Hexagon stage was simple: his projector, some curtains and Dave. He knows how to create visually interesting PowerPoint slides and animate them appropriately. How would he have coped in the overhead projector days when information had to be covered up with pieces of paper? Now that would be a show.
He also knows how to seed themes and jokes – sharing any of them ahead of seeing the show would spoil the entertainment for those yet to see it, and also the playful mischief that awaits.
That’s another thing about the affable comedian. He’s able to pull off the most amazing stunts and pranks because he’s not out to hurt anyone. If anything, it is to show that modern life is indeed goodish.
The evening whizzed by, with the first act ending on a Found Poem – a verse written from extracts of readers comments from newspaper websites. The announcement of his recital illicited loud cheers, the poem much laughter.
There was a fantastic segment where Dave unpacks some of his alter ego as a crossword setter, and explains how people can crack those cryptic clues. Although, as we find out, not everyone appreciates his work.
As for the name dropping? It’s all good natured mickey taking, involving the likes of Tom Hanks, Barrack Obama, Harrison Ford, Harrison Ford – yes that does make sense when you see the show – and Morgan Freeman. Among many others. Again, they are all name checked for a reason, and a satisfying chuckle.
Immaculately researched, flawlessly delivered, beautifully set up, and neatly stitched together, this was a hugely entertaining night out.
For more on Dave, visit his website, https://davegorman.com/
