Edward Aczel - Do I Really Have To Communicate With You

Edward Aczel must be one of the worst comedians operating in the UK today.

Unable to decide how to introduce himself, he does it three times over and canvasses opinion as to which was best. To make sure expectations are low, he goes through a number of previous shows to let people know how his earlier audiences have reacted – low attendances, a few walk outs and a fight were the order of other days. He enjoys a good graph, and charts how he feels the show is going. "Moderately to poor" seems to be his thinking this time out. Added to this, his prepared material only stretches out for twenty minutes and isn’t exactly scintillating.

The result, though, is fantastic. Relying on audience participation for the bulk of the show, Aczel’s depressed bingo-caller persona is a wonderful foil for some top notch comedy. The dead-pan delivery of woeful material is consistently funny as Aczel speeds through his set as though the idea of having to perform for an audience is spoiling his experience of being a stand-up comic.

As he runs out of material, Aczel hosts an impromptu quiz to while away the time. Here, he orchestrates the audience expertly, breaking down the boundaries between performer and spectator and riffing excellently with the more extroverted in attendance.

The major problem with the set is, in the context of tonight, one that is hypothetical but potentially ruinous to future performances. Should Aczel come across an unwilling crowd, the show would break-down. This leaves him very much at the mercy of chance. That said, when it works, Do I Have to Communicate With You is brilliant.