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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Live from the West End

Lee Evans

1995 · 67 min

Sweaty, high-energy slapstick from the British comic's 1995 theater run.

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Lee Evans throws his entire physical being into every punchline. His 1995 hour relies on frantic, rubber-faced slapstick, highlighted by a full-body visual interpretation of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Between tackling the size of Australian insects, introducing characters like the dim-witted Malcolm, and acting out public arguments with his wife, Evans barely pauses to breathe.

Filmed at the Lyric Theatre in London, the set captures the comedian right before his ascent to stadium-level fame. He was already gaining momentum at the time, having recently won the Perrier Comedy Award and starred opposite Jerry Lewis in the film Funny Bones. The performance cements the sweaty, vaudevillian style that would become his trademark — a relentless brand of physical comedy that eventually sold out arenas across the UK.

The set list

2 bits
  1. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Mime to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody closer

    A sweat-soaked, intensely physical virtuoso mime routine performed to the Queen song

  2. Bees with stings

    Observing that bees do not know they possess a sting, comparing a bee to 'a twat with a shotgun'

How it plays

Tone
Frenzied, silly, and eccentric
On stage
Hyperactive, sweat-soaked, and intensely physical performer who uses funny faces and elastic movements
Pace
High-speed, manic, frenetic, and furious

What the critics said

Characterized as an irrepressibly energetic, frenzied, and furious hour of comedy showcasing Evans's elastic physical performance style

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, comedy.co.uk, thetvdb.com, web.isan.org, the-independent.com, whatsafterthemovie.com, en.wikipedia.org, ciaranbrown.com.

Backstory

Filmed following his role opposite Jerry Lewis in the film Funny Bones and his television series The World of Lee Evans

Details

Released
Taped
Lyric Theatre
Runtime
67 min
Director
Julia Knowles
Honors
Perrier Comedy Award winner
Topics
Before
Live at Her Majesty's (1994)
After
Live: The Different Planet Tour (1996)

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