Isaac Andrews
New Zealand Fringe Festival’s Ben Pope: Holy Cow stands as a quaint collection of robust anecdotes and inward reflections, which dares to peak into the deeper meaning of our daily lives. Knowing that I am seeing a UK comedian, I am quite excited and glad to see someone from abroad in the comedic field. The show’s promotional statement asks: “What happens after you die? What’s God up to? Is love forever?” Personally, I’m really looking forward to his answers.
The members of The Fringe Bar file in, there’s an increasingly excited buzz amongst the audience as they pull up their pews. It’s practically a full house, minus the few empty chairs and tables, of which Pope makes a point to highlight, and then welcomes regardless.
Fringe’s stage is a mere few square meters wide, making for an intimate night ahead. I sit right up front, awaiting the man who’s tea cup sits alone on a stool, on stage. I adore British humor, though I wonder how it will stand up against the polite and humble, yet astute, kiwi crowd.
When Pope arrives, he has a polite and courteous approach. His manner of introduction is sweet, cautious and easy to listen to. This is maintained throughout the act. He has a certain sassy, matter-of-fact inflection in his delivery and it endears us at every step along the way. He has a simple and sweet interplay with the crowd and an almost illustrious voice which entices us alongside his quirky anecdotes. I am relieved when there is a break of tension and a more absurd demeanor takes over Pope. He gladly gets carried away with a detail in his story, resulting in a delightful change in his pace, pause, pitch, etc. These more intrepid moments, I’m a big fan of. However, in sometimes without these, his journey towards each punchline feels more tedious and nondescript. Nevertheless, the punchline always lands with a well-deserved guffaw within the audience.
His personal interactions with the crowd piques my interest. It’s admittedly entertaining to see a comedian being heckled; it’s all a part of the business. And the unique way in which Pope responds to some audience members is indicative of his years of experience performing. Skillful, quick, and clean.
Pope propels us along a narrative which is rich with contemporary allegories and lavish recalls on memories, with dashes of stark absurdism and plenty of classic hyperbole. It’s an impressive set that enthralls and resonates with the audience, admittedly though, it does not really appeal to my more intense, erratic humor. Having read the show’s blurb, I am expecting a more thorough diving-into the respective themes. Love, death, God, etc. However, many of the tangents Pope dives into seem to fly by too quick or are a bit too briefly visited to make a long lasting impact. He upholds an upbeat punchy narrative and consistently elates the crowd, but in doing so, leaves his slower-paced parts seeming rather monotonous.
Finally, towards the end of the set, I am simply bursting for the bathroom and I leave part-way through, breaking the room’s etiquette. Pope remarks: “That’s a great time to leave.” I thought this is absolutely hilarious and deservingly so, I almost wet myself. Pope doesn’t break a sweat when a heckle occurs and if a joke doesn’t land, he’ll own up to it. He offers a very palatable perspective on what it means to be a human. If you’re a philosopher, you may find yourself disappointed. But if you’re just looking for a fun night out, you’ll be thoroughly entertained. An overall wonderful collection of funny stories, Ben Pope is a delightful entertainer.