Isaac Andrews
Tom Cashman is an eccentric Australian comedian, who in his show Tom Cashman - Everything, graces an astute kiwi crowd with an epic attempt to cover every topic under the sun. This is as a part of the NZ International Comedy Festival. I’m intrigued to see what Cashman can come up with within the hour, and what ‘everything’ entails.
We’re sat in Tapere Iti, the smaller of Te Auaha’s two theaters; with Cashman standing in a spotlight.
Cashman has featured on shows such as Taskmaster Australia, The Project, Question Everything and The Hundred. I recall seeing Cashman pass by on my social media at some point prior to this show and in revisiting various clips from the Melbourne Comedy Festival and others he’s done, I’d say on the whole I prefer his online specials to what I saw tonight.
I’m a fan of the show’s marketing visuals, featuring Cashman spinning what almost looks like planets, but are color–coded pie charts. This is perhaps hinting towards his heavy use of graphs, charts and annotated slides throughout the show, which I love as a visual aid to his often complex and intricate stories.
Cashman is relaxed and jovial when introducing himself and breaks the ice by acknowledging he has interrupted the various conversations and anecdotes of the audience and states he’s not sorry. He jokes about establishing dominance within the room and then jumps straight into his set. Cashman is fast-paced and proficient in the detailing of his anecdotes without taking too long to get to the point. This is maintained well throughout the stand-up, and although it is energetic and upbeat, it is at times hard to keep up with.
Within a few minutes of starting the show, a patron arrives late to his seat and when prompted by Cashman, the gentleman proudly states “I got wine in case you weren’t funny”. Cashman responds quickly; “You missed the number one rule: no attitude.” Cashman’s response is cheeky, but so genuine and whole-hearted that the audience seem to be won over in an instant. It’s reassuring to see a comedian that is quick on his feet so early into his show and Cashman continues to interact with us throughout. These moments are delightful little asides to the main act Cashman portrays.
Cashman shares his experiences of driving through Wellington and passing through the Mount Victoria tunnel, where many drivers honk their horns. He remarks it was an enjoyable moment hearing the “Do, do, do do-do… do-do!” I love this little hat tip to us Wellingtonians and this recollection works well to ease the audience into Cashman’s endearing idiosyncratic storytelling.
Cashman uses a TV display alongside his stories and it helps to form themes between groups of anecdotes. Coming to this show, I expected to hear, well: everything. Cashman certainly delivers. His stand-up contains stories about romance, dating apps, language, friends and family, intense email chains, private fantasies, negative reviews, live photos, the royal family, periods and so much more. The range of topics discussed and different stories delved into is immense, and the charisma with which they’re delivered makes for a charming and delightful experience. Although Cashman’s content indeed seems to cover ‘everything’, I felt at times such a jump is made from tangent to tangent that I lose the momentum of what is being said. When this happens, I’m brought out of the moment and it takes a bit to catch up to the story and context. Furthermore, although such a range of topics are discussed and such great leaps between anecdotes were made, I felt a yearning for more variety and spontaneity in Cashman’s delivery.
By the end of the show, we’ve journeyed through an array of admirable, complex anecdotes, of which the audience responds incredibly well. At the end of his set, Cashman makes a classy exit leaving us with an excerpt of him during a news interview (very funny) and a small compilation of him riding on a segway (hilarious).
On the whole, Cashman delivers an electric and eclectic performance.. He’s well-rounded, an expert in dealing with hecklers and sure to have you laughing out loud. I do hope Cashman returns to Kiwi theaters soon.
Cashman has featured on shows such as Taskmaster Australia, The Project, Question Everything and The Hundred. I recall seeing Cashman pass by on my social media at some point prior to this show and in revisiting various clips from the Melbourne Comedy Festival and others he’s done, I’d say on the whole I prefer his online specials to what I saw tonight.
I’m a fan of the show’s marketing visuals, featuring Cashman spinning what almost looks like planets, but are color–coded pie charts. This is perhaps hinting towards his heavy use of graphs, charts and annotated slides throughout the show, which I love as a visual aid to his often complex and intricate stories.
Cashman is relaxed and jovial when introducing himself and breaks the ice by acknowledging he has interrupted the various conversations and anecdotes of the audience and states he’s not sorry. He jokes about establishing dominance within the room and then jumps straight into his set. Cashman is fast-paced and proficient in the detailing of his anecdotes without taking too long to get to the point. This is maintained well throughout the stand-up, and although it is energetic and upbeat, it is at times hard to keep up with.
Within a few minutes of starting the show, a patron arrives late to his seat and when prompted by Cashman, the gentleman proudly states “I got wine in case you weren’t funny”. Cashman responds quickly; “You missed the number one rule: no attitude.” Cashman’s response is cheeky, but so genuine and whole-hearted that the audience seem to be won over in an instant. It’s reassuring to see a comedian that is quick on his feet so early into his show and Cashman continues to interact with us throughout. These moments are delightful little asides to the main act Cashman portrays.
Cashman shares his experiences of driving through Wellington and passing through the Mount Victoria tunnel, where many drivers honk their horns. He remarks it was an enjoyable moment hearing the “Do, do, do do-do… do-do!” I love this little hat tip to us Wellingtonians and this recollection works well to ease the audience into Cashman’s endearing idiosyncratic storytelling.
Cashman uses a TV display alongside his stories and it helps to form themes between groups of anecdotes. Coming to this show, I expected to hear, well: everything. Cashman certainly delivers. His stand-up contains stories about romance, dating apps, language, friends and family, intense email chains, private fantasies, negative reviews, live photos, the royal family, periods and so much more. The range of topics discussed and different stories delved into is immense, and the charisma with which they’re delivered makes for a charming and delightful experience. Although Cashman’s content indeed seems to cover ‘everything’, I felt at times such a jump is made from tangent to tangent that I lose the momentum of what is being said. When this happens, I’m brought out of the moment and it takes a bit to catch up to the story and context. Furthermore, although such a range of topics are discussed and such great leaps between anecdotes were made, I felt a yearning for more variety and spontaneity in Cashman’s delivery.
By the end of the show, we’ve journeyed through an array of admirable, complex anecdotes, of which the audience responds incredibly well. At the end of his set, Cashman makes a classy exit leaving us with an excerpt of him during a news interview (very funny) and a small compilation of him riding on a segway (hilarious).
On the whole, Cashman delivers an electric and eclectic performance.. He’s well-rounded, an expert in dealing with hecklers and sure to have you laughing out loud. I do hope Cashman returns to Kiwi theaters soon.