Sourced from the Adelaide Fringe website
is a stand-up comedian from London who has an enigmatic personality and a charming smile that makes you in the audience instantly feel in the company of a long-lost friend. His show
[Late Night] Panel Show is one that follows a free-flow style format, where audiences are treated to a panel of comedians that he has carefully handpicked to come along to the show. This panel changes from show to show so expect to have a different round of laughter-inducing individuals every time you walk in.
When I went along to his show over the weekend, we were treated to a stellar line-up of Fringe celebrities that included
Benjamin Maio Mackay from
(Please) Validate Me,
Ange Lavoipierre from
Zealot,
Amy Sincock from
Hot Sauce Burlesque Showcase, and
Nina Oyama from
Nina Oyama is 'Doing Me' Right Now. The show kicks off being each comedian being presented one-by-one, where Silverwood and the guest share a bit of banter. Given the intimately-sized venue (the Squeaker tent), audience participation becomes more of a necessity, rather than a voluntary affair. However, the relaxed personalities of the performers coupled with the enthusiastic audiences (some of whom had had a few drinks and were luckily being a hilariously happy lot) greatly helped with making this less daunting and a lot more enjoyable to be part of the show (even if it's in small doses).
Once we have been acquainted with our guests for the evening, we then see Silverwood engage them (and us) in a series of games (such as "Guess the news article" and whether Silverwood DID or DID NOT engage in certain activities) in a bid to win some points, but we learn (very quickly) that the guests are more interested in injecting their slice of humour by relaying the purpose of the game to their own life experience(s), which ends up leaving the audience in waves of laughter. Nothing is off-limits (or off-topic), as our hilarious panellists bounce within each other to set us off with their words and their antics that
may occasionally warrant supervision by Silverwood, but are so much more hilarious when it's done on the fly.
I particularly enjoyed how each comedian was able to deliver a solid punchline within 30 seconds that left us in the audience with a mixed state of shock and laughter. I was also a fan of the improvisation that took form quite effortlessly, as the talent of sharp wit and dry, slapstick humour is one that can be perfected by very few and if it doesn't go well, the entire joke can be ruined. Thankfully, this wasn't the case here, which was also enhanced by the evident camaraderie and friendship among the comedians that shone through their performance and made the show seem more like a chilled gathering of acquaintances-turned-friends at a pub over a few drinks.
There's never a dull moment in this show so if you're looking for a great pick-me-up or simply need a show that will allow you to temporarily switch off from your daily worries, then go to this show. I can also safely say that having never really been to a panel show, this one was quite wholesome to watch unfold on stage - it's stupid, it's fun, it doesn't require much thinking, and it's a great excuse to get some laughter happening for just under 60 minutes of quality banter.
Andrew Silverwood will be performing [Late Night] Panel Show at Gluttony till March 14, 2020 as part of Adelaide Fringe. Book your tix here.
Date attended: 15/02/2020
Overall rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
Official website
fragility.co.uk/latenightpanelshow
Social media
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*Tema was invited as a guest.
