Comedy Festival 2017: Rhys Nicholson’s I’m Fine is, well, fine but not extraordinary ★★★½

FILTHY fun and incisive observations aplenty, but this year’s offering is not quite up to Rhys Nicholson’s usual lofty standards

At just 26, Rhys Nicholson already feels like a veteran of the domestic comedy scene. He’s been that good for that long.

So after last year’s Barry-nominated Bona Fide, we can probably permit him an okay year. Halfway through I’m Fine you realise it’s a pretty good stand-up show, and that’s all. He’s fine. This is fine. But then it gets better…

Nicholson’s timing remains even sharper than those cheekbones and his ability to skew an analogy just enough to surprise and delight persists. It’s the rat-a-tat, three-spit-takes-per-gag ratio that’s not in evidence, or at least not as frequent, as it was in last year’s relentless tour de force.

Comedian Rhys Nicholson leaves the crowd gasping with tale of sexual misadventure.

I’m Fine sees Nicholson discuss mental health issues with typical candour but a distinct lack of tension-filled silences; the audience can rest assured that a one-liner is never far away. It’s reflective but curious rather than self-obsessed, Nicholson seemingly more bemused by his own behaviour and tendencies than consumed by them. If it’s a trick, it’s a neat one.

Some keenly observed material on topics ranging from white privilege to what it means to be brave to how buzzed middle-aged women can save the world are all well received, but early yarns are a little flat.

The pace picks up markedly as the focus shifts to sexual proclivities. Nicholson’s fascination with the practicality of others’ fetishes and his own attempts to liven up his “vanilla” tastes result in some of the strongest bits of the night, with one tale of a youthful misadventure on a tennis court leaving many of us gasping.

Not a vintage year for this extraordinary talent, but even when his radar’s a little off, Nicholson can still destroy.

Rhys Nicholson, I’m Fine
CMI – Cube until April 23

Buy tickets here