by Alex J Allenaa
Something has overcome to the noble art of the comedian in the past decade, and evolution if you will. It has redefined what it is to be a successful stand up comic, and left the old guard appearing increasingly dated. Audience participation. It is simply no longer enough to rattle through the contents of the auto cue of your routine, regardless of what is going around you. You have to react, respond and retort. Dara O'Brien has become the affable, model. However, despite this evolution of the traditional panel show, you could argue that the panelists themselves have always possessed, and required, these traits. Since the improvisation of Paul Merton, in the days when Have I Got News For You had BBC 1 to its self, panelists have needed a quick wit to survive (or in the case of Merton, who requires all guests to provide their answers in advance, a convincing air of spontaneity).
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McIntyre is at his glorious best when he has had the time to form witty, insightful observations of middle Britain. Improvisation is not his forte, he isn't David Mitchell, for example, who can flit from sit com, to sketch show, to stand up, to panel show almost seamlessly. As McIntyre has become better known, and his popularity has snowballed, television executives have struggled with the problem of how best to display his talent. A variety of panel show appearances have been of mixed quality. McIntyre is often found out of his comfort zone, his best panel show work has come on BBC 2's Mock the Week, where the the panelists receive the questions and answers to every round, one a stand up competition in itself, prior the recording. However, on shows like Would I Like to You?, McIntyre was outshone by the quick witted David Mitchell (here). However, in his preferred surroundings, he is the the most promising stand up comedian of his generation. He talked about anything from women's' exclusion from the loft in their houses, to our fascination with traffic jams, conjuring images and situations we are familiar with, and opinions we have all privately thought had.
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It seems obvious that the secret to great observational comedy, is making observations that the audience can connect with and recognise in their own lives. This is McIntyre's talent, and although he seems to have made a subtle decision to 'camp up' his performance in recent times, his boundless energy, enthusiasm, and the positive ambiance to life that he creates are made for far bigger venues that Norwich's Theatre Royal (although, of course, he has performed in some of them already - notably at the Royal Variety Performance). Overall, despite not maintaining it throughout, when McIntyre hit his stride, he was truly brilliant.
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