one4review | On 19, Aug 2018

Tom Stade is a performer whose immense presence commands the stage with his energy and his own brand of teetering on the edge of good taste comedy. He is a comedian with a vast amount of experience and a talent for turning everyday observations into hilarious stories and gags.

Tom opens the show by bringing the audience’s attention to the venue, the Gilded Balloon Rose Street Theatre, which whilst beautiful is very far away from the heart of Fringe comedy. I assume he was deemed a large enough name to draw the crowds away from the main comedy venues, and draw the crowds he did, it was a sell-out show and the Saturday night crowd, which can often be quite difficult for a performer to control, were not let down.
He has a knack for taking the audience with him by picking a few members of the crowd to whom he returned throughout the show to emphasise amusing stories and accentuate punchlines. Tom took us through rambling anecdotes relating to getting older, the generation gap with social media, religion, his relationship with his children and how this has changed as they move into adulthood which brings with it the complications of alcohol, drugs and sex. Some of the most entertaining moments from the show were his link between God and Bill Cosby, the drug rating website Tripping Advisor and the discovery of the drunken photo of his son teabagging him.

Tom Stade is a solid, reliable comedian who has worked hard to build a strong following, incredibly funny but definitely not for the prudish or sensitive.
****
Reviewed by Lynne
Guilded Balloon Rose Street Theatre
21.15 to 22.15
Until 26th