Comedy: Ava Vidal – Remember, Remember the 4th of November

Comedy
**
Ava Vidal – Remember, Remember the 4th of November
The Stand IV

Playing to a ram-packed shoebox room, one feels Ava Vidal needs a bigger venue, and what she has in popularity, she lacks in originality.  Whilst the title of her show references President Obama’s election, this show is about her.  She is at the centre of her universe, and she wants the world to know.  She tells stories about her dabbling in cocaine, her time as a prison officer, and about being a black woman living in Britain.  The first two subjects provide some of the funniest moments of the show, and are a testament to her skill as a writer and performer, but sadly, the latter is the one she dwells on, more or less for the whole hour, and she does so with very little originality.

There is no problem with comics discussing their race or gender, and by exposing the inherent ridiculousness of prejudice a comic is able not only to make people laugh, but also to challenge the way they think.  However, with so many acts targeting various societal bigotries, originality is vital, and it is here where Vidal falls flat.  Her jokes are predictable, and she often comes across as a condescending know-it-all.  She complains that racism still permeates society, and that the BNP’s rise is representative of that.  I’ve never felt so patronised in all my life.

JD