One of the greatest nights of my life, comparable only to the birth of my child!!!! 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position of authority over those whoms offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is both fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism labeling it as such. However, there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent and new creations. The new needs friends. Therefore, in the case of Boast in Show, you can count this critic as a bosom buddy. That is to say, when I went incognito to review Boast in Show on Brighton’s fashionable London Road, I did not expect to see anything new. Yet, new is what I found—in spades.
But to properly celebrate this most brilliant of comedy nights, I must first explain its innovative concept.
Boast in Show is a reverse roast battle. Those familiar with the horrific and archaic format of a roast battle will have some idea of what this is. For those whoms aren’t familiar, let me explain. A roast battle is where comics tell mean-spirited, horrible, and often hack jokes about one another in an effort to gain the approval of the equally abhorrent audience and judges. A reverse roast battle is just that—the complete antithesis of all that negativity. A reverse roast battle, or boast battle, as it’s aptly named, is a thing of pure beauty. Comics take to the stage and celebrate one another with jokes that are incredibly creative, fun, and innovative. At Boast in Show, many of the acts even prepare gifts and gestures for their opponents—such as procuring a plague, buying a plot of land, and even naming a star after their opponent. This creates a fantastic energy in the room. The show at times had the feel of Taskmaster, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Channel 4 snatches up the rights to this format soon—mark my words.
In short, Boast in Show is not your usual comedy gig. The comics go to great lengths, not to gain the approval of the audience and judges, but rather to invite them to join in, become part of the experience, and leave the gig genuinely uplifted. That was my experience of Boast in Show, and you can count me as a lifelong fan.
The concept and format are both flawless, yet this show still has more to offer—and I’m not even talking about its fabulous host, Carl Carzana (more on that shortly). There are so many added extras to this show, it’s an embarrassment of riches. The whole show is more of a production than a straightforward gig. From the Judges and the Adjudicator (a sanctioned official whoms responsibility was to keep order and dish out the points), both of whoms lend the show structure and provide hilarious moments of banter and improv, to the Bad Vibes Monster—a cloaked figure with a demonic mask, whoms represents all the bad vibes in the world. We heard about his woes that week, and as he tried to derail the gig, the audience was invited to hurl chocolate éclairs at him to banish him from the venue. Regrettably, he grew too strong to be kept out in this manner, and so, in the second half, he was swiftly dealt with by the Good Egg—an egg themed superhero, whoms had no problem banishing the Bad Vibes Monster so we could all enjoy a night of feel-good comedy again. The Good Egg even had egg-themed gifts for the audience, which I for one really appreciated. The inclusion of these characters gave the show a nice point of difference and was unlike anything I had seen before. It reminded me of early Vic and Bob, particularly Big Night Out, as well as Harry Hill’s TV Burp. I really can see this show making the leap to television and filling that void.
Each show has a theme, and this month it was “Cheerleader”—a theme that was executed to perfection by all involved. There was an official leader of the cheers, or cheerleader, if you will, whoms instructed the crowd on how to cheer each pair of acts onto the stage. This was a fantastic touch and really set the mood for each battle. The adjudicator, was also dressed in cheerleader garb and looked quite the part. They may have also been some poetry performed by the tech, dunno.
And then there was Carl Carzana. What can I say to adequately praise this man that hasn’t already been said a hundred times before? He is, quite simply, the greatest comic mind I have ever encountered! The show itself is his brainchild, and it carries his trademark enthusiasm and creativity throughout, like a stick of rock. Not only has he devised the next great comedy format, but he also hosts it—and, boy, what a host. He is at once calm and relaxed but also a chaotic, supercharged ball of energy whoms infectious nature rings through the gig like a huge bell. He lights up the stage and invites us all to join him on a journey of pure fun and silliness. I have never seen an MC work a crowd in such a way before. He’s a commanding presence, yet he’s also everyone’s friend at the same time. He has an almost forensic understanding of the format and delivers each element of the show flawlessly. He accomplished all of this while also performing some incredible and extremely well-choreographed cheerleading dance moves. The man’s a machine. A comedy, laughter-inducing machine—and that machine is still very much in warranty.
To summarise Carl Carzana and his Boast in Show, It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius MCing Boast in Show, whoms, in this critic's opinion, is nothing less than the finest comedian in the world. I will be returning to Boast in Show soon, hungry for more.
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