Out of Print Book Club
Reviewed by Annie Waters
Have you ever had a burning desire to trump the knowledge of all your snooty literary friends, but haven’t done any of the required reading? The Out of Print Book Club is the place for you, my friend. Like any good Arts graduate knows, the key to this dilemma is to bullshit.
This Spicks and Specks style panel show was hosted by comedian Damian Callinan and actor Tim Overton, with the spots on the panel filled by a revolving cast of Fringe stars. For the performance that I saw, the guests were Irish comedian Eddie Bannon, former Rove Live and The Glass House presenter Corinne Grant, and the winner of that week’s Fringe comedy award, Simon Keck. Set in the marvellous State Dining Room of Ayers House, we were surrounded by a weighty history of (imaginary) literary masters.
The show proceeded through various segments that tested the improvisational powers of the three guests. With the lights left up, audience participation was heartily encouraged to fill any gaps left by the struggling panellists, of which there were more than an uncomfortable few. Despite this resulting in a couple of hilarious heckles from the crowd, it began to wear a bit thin when the performers on stage were left obviously grasping at straws. As the comedic host, this should have been when Callinan stepped in to rescue them, but all too often he too was at a loss for words. He seemed under-prepared and content to let his guests wallow in discomfort. Overton, the co-host, provided a humorous accompaniment on piano and was more confident with his lines, bringing much-needed energy to the show, but still remaining painfully silent at times.
Eddie Bannon was probably the stand-out of this performance; reliably amusing and with great comedic timing, he unfortunately couldn’t save the other two when placed under pressure. Relatively new to the stand-up game, Keck stayed pretty quiet, and Grant seemed uncomfortable in the lime-light, although one of her spots was probably the funniest of the show, as she spiritually channelled a West Country poet known for her impossibly poor cadence. Although it might not sound like it, all three of the guests were actually reasonably funny, but I think their key failing was that they were not well-read enough. I went along to this show expecting knowledgeable literary wit; instead I saw topical stand-up that only barely used books as a jumping off point.
This show has a good premise that is not quite executed properly; the scenarios given in the various segments do not seem to inspire the guests in quite the way that they are expected to, and the comedians lack the book-smarts that are needed to riff about literature. If you’re willing to take a punt on the panellists, this could be a fun way to spend an hour of your afternoon, but don’t go along expecting anything too high-brow.
