Michael Mcintyre Tickets

Michael Mcintyre
Mouth achingly funny, Michael McIntyre is a comedian from North London. Famous for his floppy hair, wobbly head and quoted the campest straight man in the world, he is likeable, quick-witted and, of course, extremely funny.

His TV appearances have been confined to slots on shows such as Live From The Apollo, Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 cats, Have I Got News For You?, The Royal Variety Performance, etc. - as well as on the usual raft of stand-up comedy shows.

In 2003 he was nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2006 he took the Royal Variety Show by storm and established his place as from the breed of comics who are leaving behind negativity and once more finding the fun in everyday life. With a naughty glint in his eye and a delightfully pert manner, some of Michaels finest routines surely deserve classic status.

The son of comedy scriptwriter Ray Cameron, who co-wrote Kenny Everett's TV shows with Barry Cryer, Michael McIntyre is half-Canadian and half-Hungarian. His public-school upbringing has instilled in him the British middle-class way of being able to talk amiably at great length, without once giving away any glimpse of what he might really be feeling.

His material, like the American sitcom, could easily be said to be about nothing, built as it is upon the inconsequential observations of common behaviour, from finding free newspapers on public transport, to overtaking on a country road. Yet he fashions the slickest, most universally accessible routines around, with such meticulous attention to detail that ensures the laughs come with near-perfect efficiency.

Muswell Hill-born Michael McIntyres humour is devilishly observant, pointing out how ridiculous aspects of our everyday lives are. This is the comedy of recognition taken to an extreme which makes you realise you are not an individual but merely a living stereotype who does and says the same things as every one else.

McIntyre has a nice way of putting things, perfectly encapsulating the everyday, inconsequential situations hes describing. With such skilful use of words, this comedy artisan reveals to the audience things everyone has noticed, but nobody had noticed that theyd noticed. The fact that everything he mentions feel familiar so you laugh half out of recognition and half at how funny it is makes his routine brilliant.

At times the obviously prepared material is not always as engaging or funny as the improvised material that comes from Michaels engagement with the audience. Hes doing more prepared material now than in his three Edinburgh runs - the first of which, in 2003, won him a nomination as Perrier Best Newcomer - but even so the fluency with which he blends it with dealing with the moment is outstanding.

For instance during one of his performances he asked one of the audience mebers to suggest a subject. Someone said Scotland. McIntyre instantly produced two minutes of good material. He employs a demonstrative physicality, too, when the need arises, roaming around the stage with his own silly walks to inject some dynamism into an already sparkling show.

McIntyre admits to never making political jokes and confesses that he doesnt think about that kind of thing much. Its an extremely refreshing, and welcome, declaration. He doesnt in fact seem to want to push boundaries or take us out of our comfort zones at all - an undertaking that has been a key element of most popular comedy acts recently.

In contrast, McIntyre offers a charming, accessible comedy that is relevant to the common man. Even when he's exposing a member of the audience to merciless ribbing over their choice of possible names for an expected baby or ad-libbing about someone's surname, he does it with such politeness that it's hard to take offence. In fact this easy, inoffensive manner pervades his jokes.

Michael McIntyres Live And Laughing debut DVD is out now. It is about the mesmerizing first show of Michael's sell out five nights run at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo as well as his appearance on BBC1's Live at the Apollo.

His ownership of the stage, and his confident and likeable manner, has paid off. He is just like some preppy school, giggling to himself in his trademark hyena-style, unable to hold in some joke he's just thought up.

His graciously mischievous comedy is a breath of fresh air and just what was needed, as opposed to the somewhat crude, though admirably witty, humour prevalent.