Tom Allen – Absolutely

Tom Allen’s Absolutely plays as a wonderfully enjoyable introduction to a comic fresh to our shores, a life story of sorts. The comedian takes his audience from his childhood as a pompous schoolboy in a working class family, all the way to becoming the “token gay” at a passive aggressive hen party. The comic is brilliantly on the draw with his quickfire observational material, masterfully presenting his own unique experiences in a way that resonates with his crowd. However, it is his relationship with his audience which sees the show begin to unravel.

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Though Absolutely is an undeniably hilarious MICF debut from Allen, it carries somewhat of a double-edged sword. The comic is so affable and friendly, even going so far as to greet every punter at the door, that it leads some of the more unrestrained audience members to believe that they are part of the show. That being said, Allen himself is an assassin of crowd interaction, shutting down those foolish enough to chat among themselves in the front row and try and contribute to the proceedings. A quick Google of the comic's work would tell anyone that Allen doesn’t suffer these folks gladly, expertly slighting them before turning attention back on himself.

Nonetheless, Allen is an incredibly jovial performer and comes across as a completely open and authentic individual. There are plenty of chances for hiccups throughout Absolutely, making it a sort of Russian Roulette show depending on his audience, but Allen himself will always be in top form.