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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Two Night Stand

Billy Connolly

PolyGram Video · 1997 · 1 h 30 min

A sprawling, tangent-heavy set from his sold-out 1997 tour.

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Billy Connolly spends Two Night Stand wandering the stage in complete command of his sprawling, tangent-heavy style. He abandons rigid joke structure in favor of long-form observational storytelling, leaning on his manic physicality to act out the absurdities of daily life. The anchor of the set is his extended “Wildebeest” routine, a highly physical bit that allows him to pantomime animals on the savanna. He also uses this energy to explain the mechanics of picking up women and the bizarre logic of limo drivers.

The footage is pulled from dates in London and Glasgow during a sold-out 1997 UK tour. At the time, Connolly was bridging the gap between comedy and prestige cinema, having just starred opposite Judi Dench in the historical drama Mrs. Brown. On stage, however, he remains firmly rooted in the vulgar, high-energy storytelling that built his following. Instead of prestige, he focuses his attention on the physical realities of aging, social classes, and cultural stereotypes.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Dinner party with super toffs

    Recounts receiving an invitation to Christmas dinner among upper-class rich people.

  2. Laughing at awful things and Tourette's syndrome

    Observes finding humor in inappropriate situations, including an encounter with a man in Los Angeles with Tourette's syndrome.

  3. Crashing a motorbike

    Shares an anecdote about riding and getting into a motorbike accident.

  4. Mad cow disease

    Riffs on the public panic and realities of mad cow disease.

How it plays

Tone
Expletive-littered, observational, chaotic, and irreverent.
On stage
Presents a seemingly rambling, anecdotal comedic style marked by nervous excitement and an intense rapport with the audience.
Pace
Features an accumulative build with physical movement and vocal impressions; Connolly eschews using a provided stool, instead prowling the stage with energetic momentum.
About
The Irish, Limousine service, Fat people, Toffs and rich people, Mad cow disease, Aging and shouting

What the critics said

Praised for Connolly's accumulative comedic build and seamless direction that stays out of the way of his natural stage rapport and physical prowling.

In the room: Relies on immediate rapport and laughter in an active live room dynamic.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, thetvdb.plex.tv, imdb.com, bingebase.com, letterboxd.com, en.wikipedia.org, filmalist.com, open.spotify.com.

Backstory

Compiled from two 45-minute excerpts filmed at separate performances in London and Glasgow during his 1997 tour, notably appearing in Glasgow having shaved off his signature wild beard.

Details

Released
Runtime
1 h 30 min
Where
PolyGram Video
Director
Billy Sneddon, Annabel Vine
Topics
Before
Live at Edinburgh Usher Hall (1995)
After
Billy Connolly's One Night Stand (1998)

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