Hal Cruttenden Review: Self-Deprecating With Biting Truths ❇️❇️❇️❇️🟩

 

I first saw Hal Cruttenden on Mock The Week and instantly loved him, even though he wasn’t really my type of comedian. Unlike comics who present themselves as the hero of their stories, Hal thrives in the role of the person who is relegated to ‘second-best’ - whether by his daughters, his ex-wife, or the modern world. This vulnerability resonates with me because it feels authentic, not mechanical, especially when it is accompanied by a whining, childlike tone desired to emphasise victimhood and elicit sympathy. It certainly worked!

For the unsuspecting audience, Hal’s ‘posh-but-charming’ exterior serves as a handy camouflage. By presenting himself as a self-deprecating, slightly camp, and overly-sensitive ‘luvvie,’ he sets a tone of safety that allows him to execute a far more cynical intent. This friendly demeanour feeds the audience’s comfort, only to reinforce his ability to deliver biting, sometimes uncomfortable, observational truths. He essentially gets to set the rules of the engagement, dictating a connection that feels warm, yet allows him to ‘dish it out’ with a sharpness that a more aggressive comic could never get away with.

Most importantly, Hal uses his own neuroses as a primary comedy weapon. His is a self-serving exploration of his weaknesses - his divorce, his middle-aged anxieties, and his fragile ego. By being allowed to treat his personal trauma as dispensable material, he boosts his own esteem, while simultaneously providing a mirror for the audience’s inadequacies. 

Why should he hide his flaws when they grant him such a perceived higher status on stage? The entertainment comes mainly from the constant tension between his ‘cosy’ voice of a kindly neighbour and his ‘foul’ observations. Of course the audience then find themselves laughing at the very things that usually cause them anxiety. 

Hal ruthlessly mines the pain of heartbreak, and the insanity of modern politics, with an uncomfortably funny frankness. His mastery of the craft deprives us of the ability to look away from our own problems, but taking refuge in his perspective, proving that the most effective way to handle any perceived low-esteem is to weaponise it through wit.

It was a truly enjoyable evening in the presence of a true master of his art who clearly enjoys what he does.

Rating: ✪✪✪✪⭐︎ Well worth a visit

TOUR DATES 

• Click here https://halcruttenden.com/live/ for all the tour details and tickets