David Quirk – Career, Suicide

Reviewed by Annie Waters

“I’d like to tell you that this show is not all about towels. But that’s not true.” So says David Quirk as he explains his presence on the stage with only a thin red towel around his waist and his clothes piled on a chair next to him. What follows is an hour of philosophical musing on the nature of life, death and, of course, towels.

A lanky, laconic redhead (“My eyebrows really are white, aren’t they?”), Quirk delivers his brand of refreshingly intelligent comedy with an easy grace. Moving from topics as diverse as break-ups and poverty to veganism and Morrissey, his outlook on life is down-to-earth and honest. Unlike many stand-ups who embellish their stories (or present entirely made-up ones), Quirk relates tales from his life with candour and wit; taking a wry look at his own behaviour as well as that of others. He takes the time to build jokes rather than dropping one-liners; a comedic storyteller who does not need to feed off the constant laughter of the crowd.

Despite the low turn-out at the Wine Underground venue, hosted by Tuxedo Cat, Quirk soon developed a good rapport with the crowd. It almost seemed like he was treating it like a preview, checking his watch, running through notes, and at times talking to himself about the reception of a particular anecdote; but he did this in such a charming and gracious way that it was excusable. He is one of the best stand-up comedians of this calibre that I’ve seen live – articulate, clever and earnest.

For those who are sick of comedians who swear profusely to cover up their inability to string together a witty sentence, David Quirk is the guy to see this Fringe.

David Quirk – Career, Suicide, Tuxedo Cat @Raj House, 14 Feb to 16 Mar