Review of Bobby Mair at the Cambridge Junction

The uniquely-talented Canadian comic - whose numerous television appearances include 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC2), The Bobby Mair Show (Comedy Central), and World of Weird (Channel 4) - brought his fifth stand-up show, Cockroach, to Cambridge on Saturday, April 9.

And what a show it was - in fact I’m still laughing now as I write this such was my enjoyment of the 36-year-old’s various anecdotes, thoughts and sardonic observations. Speaking to Bobby for the Cambridge Independent a few weeks ago, I had a feeling I might enjoy his gig, but I had no idea just how much.

Announcing himself as his own opening act (he revealed that he normally has fellow comedian - and co-host of the podcast The Year Is - Red Richardson open for him), Bobby went pretty much ‘off script’ for much of the still-funny opening 20-minute set - and also picked out his main ‘victim’ of the evening (although he didn’t ever pick on them in a cruel way): a young scientist sitting in the second row.

He invited audience member and local comedian Jamie Green, host of Wise Crack Comedy at The Blue Moon in Cambridge, to do the last 12 minutes for him - and a very entertaining 12 minutes it was too. Another member of the audience asked Jamie during the interval if it had been planned, to which the answer was no.

Bobby came back out for the ‘main show’ and immediately drew laughter with his thoughts on different aspects of the pandemic, giving up smoking and how he felt when his friend wrote a novel during lockdown (I don’t want to say too much but suffice it to say, the novel was not deemed a success).

He is one of those comedians whose whole manner and demeanour are naturally laugh-out-loud funny and his revelations on what he would do if he was an Uber driver and how he deals with people on trains who sit in his pre-booked seat were, again, hilarious - as were his musings on getting asked for ID in his mid-30s and becoming a parent for the first time.

Jimmy Carr has described Bobby as “Clearly a brilliant stand-up” and he clearly has a good eye for talent-spotting. In short, if I were putting together a comedy night, I would do my utmost to make sure Bobby Mair was on the bill.

For more on Bobby, visit bobbymair.net.

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