Al Lubel’s latest outing predominantely revolves around an obsession with his own name. A conceit as peculiar as this one would certainly appear to be difficult to uphold whilst maintaining a steady stream of laughs and we are treated to a mixed performance as a result. Whilst his willingness to stay true to his absurd comic grounding is admirable, this show often fell a little flat.
It simply appears that this undeniably talented comic was fishing around for subject matter that had little to really contribute to the show as a whole.
Indeed, this obsession, laid bare as he likens saying his own name to ‘fucking himself in his ears’, could be seen as vanity. However, the reality here is that Lubel is showing off his efforts to keep a joke going until it transcends the spectrum of preposterousness. This is admirable in the context of artistic endeavor, but unfortunately for Lubel, his focus, unlike his egotism, wanders.
Flitting between characters, musings and callbacks, there’s never a real sense of where he’s leading his act. Laughs are provided along the way, via a few good one-liners, but most of the time for the audience is spent waiting for something to happen. Whilst his agenda is rooted in absurdity, there are few instances where we were given the chance to see any significant insight into Lubel’s onstage persona. Whether it was talking about his mother, or his fear of being homosexual, or his racial values being challenged in a compromising social situation, it simply appears that this undeniably talented comic was fishing around for subject matter that had little to really contribute to the show as a whole.
With a little more urgency and direction, Al Lubel’s name could warrant the attention that he feels it really deserves.
