Matt Green: Punch Up
Camden Comedy Club
9th August 2018

★★★★★

It's no secret that the last twelve months have been, to put it mildly, eventful. Returning to the Camden Fringe with Matt Green: Punch Up after his successful show Matt Green LIVEs in Camden last year, Matt Green has taken these often surreal events and used them to construct a robust, well-delivered set that certainly plays to his strengths. His comedy experience and general self-awareness shine through from the very beginning of this year's offering as his seemingly effortless - though gentle and good-natured - banter with his audience leads onto some hilarious ad-hoc material straight off the bat. This provides a great start to his set and sets the tone and pace for the next hour or so. Green can't resist sliding in a dig against Brexit here or Trump there but it's evident he knows his audience, and by now we're all used to the sheer horror of it all that the best most of us can do is laugh.

Moving on to a little 'getting to know you', it becomes clear that Green is confident enough to be comfortable with plenty of self-deprecating humour. He's not new to this game; expect plenty of classic observation combined with a masterfully told story arc that forms probably the bulk of his show. Perfectly paced, skilfully delivered, and with heaps of commentary on the day-to-day London life with which most of us can identify, Punch Up keeps us all grounded while Green's takes on the absurdity of real life make us howl from laughter from beginning to end.

Without wanting to give away too much of his material, you can expect a story of why Green is cherubic, whether 'reverse sexism' is a thing, what not to say to audience members, and why you can perhaps pay too much attention to Fitbit data. Expect to hear why Tinder is a little like Pokemon Go, about crime in London, what post-Brexit cocktails might be like, and of course, a bit about Trump. Which comedian has been able to resist using that horror show as material? His account of going viral on Twitter is absolutely brilliant, digging into the bizarre cross-section of society and human nature to which it exposes us. His take on social media is astute while making it obvious he doesn't take it too seriously, except perhaps when the tricky issues of perhaps one day needing to quit or at least cut-down. Green packs in a surprising amount of material during this show but manages to keep it relevant without meandering off too far from the point, and always brings the story back to his experiences. It's identifiable without being too personal to him, and it works well.

Green's talent in storytelling and practice on stage is made all the more apparent as his set draws to a natural close; tying up loose ends, bringing a bit of closure, and finishing on some fantastic material. It makes you feel thrilled that you took the time to visit, and wanting to follow his Twitter profile for the next viral episode...

We racked our brains trying to think of anything that felt like filler or felt like it had been added for the sake of being there. We couldn't find any flab to cut. Everything is there for a reason, and that reason is to make us howl with laughter rather than 'having to have some material on Trump' or 'needing to mention Brexit'. Green has taken a mountain of comedy gold and succeeded admirably into transfiguring it into a set that is sure to dazzle. Matt Green: Punch Up is a solid five-star show, and we're confident that it's a must-see this year in Camden.

Matt Green: Punch Up opened on 7th August and runs until 11th August 2018 at the Camden Comedy Club, as part of the Camden Fringe.

Nearest tube station: Camden Town (Northern)