Billy Connolly

Press, 17 October 1987, Page 8

Billy Connolly

BiUy Connolly at the Christchurch Town Hall, October IC, 8 p.m. Reviewed by Dave Wilson.

After, he had used the F word for J about the 4000th time last evening, Billy Connolly absolved his helpless audience, J saying, “I’m the one who’s going to hell. !■ You’re, just watching.’’ 2 . Conpolly, the Scots-born comedian I whb'can .wrest a 10-minute routine from ya'-simple bodilyy function, is a comic > whose material can be appreciated only by a mature audience. His shows have no discernible structure as such, but they are very funny. The great problem for a reviewer is how to produce a G certificate review from an RlB show. Billy Connolly is at his best in making humour from everyday aspects of human nature, whether it be parents punishing a child, scuba diving, the A.I.D.S. scare and condoms, and vomiting and flatulence. Perhaps it says something about human nature but these latter two topics seemed to raise the loudest roars from the capacity audience at the Christchurch Town Hall. Connolly tells stories against himself

and his graphic recreations of classic ; vomiting moments were something any over-indulging party person could relate to. In particular his image of grasping f the toilet bowl (“driving the big porce-

lain truck”) will for ever be locked in the memory. He hops from one topic to another, one moment telling an outrageous story about his childhood days and the forms of punishment meted out by his parents; the next delivering one of those sickly country and western bad taste numbers with yodelling choruses. : Urging the audience to yodel the chorus he instructed them: “Just pretend you’re a mentally disturbed Swiss person.”

There were flat moments in the marathon show but these were caused by Connolly testing a subject on the audience, gauging reaction and developing or switching the subject, depending on the laughs. He is a very clever and astute comic who uses few supporting props — just his black and white suit, a guitar and autoharp. Some topical references to Christchurch and New Zealand were well received, and as the man’s reputation for four-letter language is as well known as his name, he did not fail to deliver to an audience that roared for more. More is in store, at his second sell-out performance this evening. But a word of advice to this evening’s audience: don’t be late. One fellow skulking in last evening was singled out for the Connolly raised voice and extended arm.