5 stars for Gerry Howell: Glorious Invention 

REVIEW BY CHRIS TAPLEY, PUBLISHED IN THE SKINNY, 14 AUGUST 2012 

Gerry Howell is a very funny man. Some people just fit comedy, and his gentle mannerisms and sly grin paired with his ponderous delivery just make him naturally amusing. Luckily he also has a raft of sublime material to go with it.  

Glorious Invention doesn’t really have any grand overarching theme or message behind it, and is much better for it. Howell hangs his routines loosely around his love of words and writing, reading us some examples from his self published short story collection (don’t all rush out looking for a copy, he's only made one for himself). His tales never go where you’re expecting them to, as he springs huge laughs seemingly from nowhere.

It’s undoubtedly his way with words which marks Howell out, as he exhibits wonderful skill for crafting memorable one liners and colouring his prose with an unparalleled level of surreal imagination. This fanciful imagination doesn’t dominate his persona though; instead his most offbeat lines tend to come as irreverent tags on his deadpan tales. He also has some brilliantly eccentric stand alone routines on small talk, relationships and religion which break up the readings well whilst keeping the show cohesive. Almost certainly one of the funniest shows on the free fringe.

WINNER OF BUXTON FRINGE BEST INDIVIDUAL COMEDY SHOW 2010  

  “Highly entertaining...*****” - Fringe Review, Brighton Fringe 2010 


Welcome to the wonderful, befuddling world of award-winning comedian Gerry Howell. Gerry's performances lie somewhere between Mr Fantastic and the mysterious encyclopedia of Uqbar. His imagination casts itself far and wide as he recounts his early years growing up in a post office or his experiences playing chess with pandas. He can tell you how Shakespeare was born in an ostrich egg, or about dressing up as an anagram for an evening out. 

“Often likened to a young Eddie Izzard [Gerry Howell] possesses a wonderfully befuddled stream of consciousness” - The Guardian

 Whilst his mind flings itself from one delicious idea to another, you may find his body cankering around the stage like a loose nugget of popping corn, or crawling up the wall like a wild spider. Tread carefully and keep your ears to the ground...

**** ThreeWeeks, Edinburgh Festival 2011 

 

If you haven't seen Gerry before, expect the unexpected, if you have – ditto. The greatest pleasure is the pleasure of anticipation. So that's something to look forward to. Parrot Fashion Accessories: Gerry is expecting you.

 

"Surreal Rambling Brilliance" -TimeOut