Leadmill hosted the incredible comedian Lloyd Griffith on Monday the 7th of October. Griffith is a super talented comic, actor, presenter and classically trained singer, so I had very high expectations prior to the show. Also, I had watched Griffith supporting Rob Beckett around 8 years ago but he was very memorable and still stuck in my mind considering the limited time he had to open the show and the years that have passed.
The first part of the show was Griffith getting to know the crowd by asking members in the front row questions to connect and get a rapport going. I have never seen a comedian do this so well and his speed to come up with things to say back was extremely impressive. This is a potentially risky endeavour if the crowd wouldn’t comply with answering his questions or interacting but even if this was the case, Griffith still made it enjoyable to watch by jumping in and seeming to have complete control of the situation.
The support act was the comedian Joey Page. Page is known for supporting big names such as Noel Fielding and Rob Beckett too. I had personally not heard of Page previously but am now unsure why as his ability to turn the most mundane everyday things into hilarious anecdotes was outstanding. I thought that his set was really polished and his eye contact throughout was strong which gave off an air of confidence.
The main part of the show following a short break was Griffith discussing his ‘mid life’ situations and how he believes he is having a midlife crisis. This ranged from discussions about his recent hair transplant to his dieting and fitness plans. Although this sounds like a fairly common routine among comedians in their 40s and 50s, Griffith managed to really make it his own and was extremely honest and at times vulnerable while still managing to make everyone cry from laughter. The crowd interaction also played a big part in this half with as much success as the first half. In addition, Griffith’s local knowledge of Sheffield made me feel like he really cares about his crowd and the places he is gigging which makes a real difference.
I have seen many stand up shows and watched lots of comedy in my time but Griffith was the best stand up comedian I have seen so far and I cannot wait to see what he does next!
Rating: ★★★★★
Lloyd Griffith: Baroque & Roll played at the Leadmill on October 7th and is touring the U.K. until November 22nd
