Patrick Morris walks on stage. Hair long and Russell Brand-esq, baggy t-shirt and skinny jeans, Morris is rocking the alternative look. Despite the Fringe being a festival of contradictions, Morris’ appearance perfectly matches his on stage persona; fidgety, fast talking, slightly awkward, almost nervous with his audience, it’s hard to describe Morris’ stand-up as anything other than unique. His premise on the contrary is fairly simple, focusing on several experiences he’s had over the last year, from “crime” to messing around with ouija boards, in order to compensate for his uneventful childhood. Despite this basic premise however, it’s his uniqueness that shines through, an aspect that both helps and hinders his comedy.
Morris is creating a unique style of stand-up that, while not fully formed yet, has plenty of potential.
On the one hand his style often doesn’t allow his jokes to settle. He talks at such a speed, barely pausing for breath, that you at times you can never fully appreciate his comedy, being swept away in a sea of dialogue before you have time to laugh. His fast past works well for his anecdotes, yet can’t help feeling that a little patience at times could go a long way.
Morris’ command on his audience is also jarring, sometimes creating unwanted tension in an attempt to create a joke. A stand-comic complaining about an audience not laughing at their favourite joke is a tried and tested gag that works; doing this five times does not.
It’s clear however that Morris has embraced his stage style and fully understands it, having essentially created a show based around it. His frantic, anxious delivery perfectly complements his bucket list anecdotes, turning for example what could be a run of the mill drug experience into something genuinely comical and unique.
The stories he has collated are also fantastic. Naturally, due to the methodical way in which they are presented, you end up comparing them, with some being better than others. Yet because of Morris’ commitment to them there’s not a dull dud in his set, leaving the best, and most absurd, to the last.
While he ends on a strong note, the flaws in his performance are not forgotten. But Premature Bucket List is still impressive; Morris is creating a unique style of stand-up that, while not fully formed yet, has plenty of potential.
