Taking on the role of compère for the evening was the fantastic Lee Pearson, who did a wonderful job of not only setting the show off with a bang but also maintaining that excitement for every single performer gracing the stage. He was responsible for introducing the show, welcoming the performers, and even directing audience members during the break, which is an immense amount of responsibility. However, Lee not only seemed totally at ease but was also able to share his own collection of brilliant jokes throughout. What was particularly impressive about Lee was his ability to move around the audience and interact with a range of different people, all of whom had rather strange and unique stories to share with everyone in attendance. These included an alleged “stalking” on a cruise ship, a mysterious choral tour in Belgium, and discussion of a drag rugby fundraiser. Lee was able to call back to these people and their stories throughout the evening. He even took this one step further by observing minor details about audience members and calling them out on stage, including my own unique outfit choices, my shiny Monzo card, and a moment before the show when he mistook an audience member for a Wales Millennium Centre worker. This demonstrated an immense attention to detail and awareness of the people in the audience. Many people go to comedy shows hoping to be a part of the experience, and Lee managed to make people feel included while also making it clear that the performers were the stars of the show and that the audience should not interfere with them.
The first performer to take to the stage was the incredibly talented Lachlan Werner, who showcased their unique blend of chaotic yet comedic ventriloquism that has seen them take over multiple social media platforms. I have to admit that I have frequently had Lachlan’s videos appear on my For You Page, but I had not been lucky enough to experience them live until they were announced for this iteration of Gagged. I think it is fair to say that I have somewhat of a fascination with the art form of ventriloquism, going as far as chatting to the bad boy of ventriloquism, Landon Harvey (which you can watch at https://youtu.be/yJ8lJMScwSM), and even being incredibly eager to have a go myself at a local holiday club. In a word, that attempt was disastrous. The skills and techniques involved are overwhelming at the best of times, but having the added challenge of playing two distinct characters simultaneously seems totally unreachable. Lachlan, however, did not seem fazed in the slightest and appeared completely at ease, flawlessly switching from the sinister, witch-like puppet Brew to the nervous and uncomfortable persona of Lachlan. It became particularly apparent just how diametrically opposed these two characters were during the closing moments of the set, as Brew took full control of the performance, forcing Lochlan into a deep slumber while answering a series of revealing questions from the audience. These questions included topics such as deepest fears, favourite colours, and even sexual preferences. The implication was that Lochlan would never have answered these questions had they been “awake.” This Q&A sequence came to an end when the audience dared Brew to perform a rendition of the iconic “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion, something the purposefully nervous Lachlan would never have attempted. Not only was this very impressive, but it also made perfect narrative sense and provided an excellent conclusion to the performance before transitioning to the next act. Having these two distinct characters share the stage not only led to many hilarious moments but also created something of a safety net when things did not entirely go to plan. There were multiple points throughout the show where Lachlan could visibly be seen laughing at their own jokes, which would usually be considered a major no-no for puppeteers as it can ruin the illusion. However, because this was an amplified character bringing the puppet to life, it made sense within the performance, as the character of Lachlan appeared to be laughing at the puppet rather than the actor controlling it.
The next special guest joining this line-up of Gagged was the wonderful Grace Jarvis, who focused on a much more traditional stand-up performance while allowing her high-energy and down-to-earth nature to really shine through. The Australian-New Zealand comedian began her set with a series of everyday observations, which not only allowed the audience to understand how she views the world as an autistic woman but also introduced a collection of witty colonisation-based jokes that had the audience in fits of laughter throughout. I have to admit that, as a fairly ignorant, British-born-and-bred person, I used to wonder why we share so many place names with Australia, such as New South Wales, Victoria, and Birmingham Gardens. As Grace so eloquently explained, this was due to the impact of British colonisation years ago. This pseudo-educational lesson then transitioned into a series of jokes about her new job working in a sex shop and how her autism had helped her become a gifted salesperson. According to Grace, not only do customers often want to avoid eye contact when purchasing intimate items, but her tendency to provide detailed instructions on how to use those products properly has proven unexpectedly useful. The entire joyous and high-energy performance served as the perfect contrast to the psychological and mind-bending elements of the latter half of Lochlan’s set and ensured the audience remained fully engaged throughout.
The headline performer of the evening was the incredible Sam Lake, someone I have to admit I was not particularly familiar with before this show but who is absolutely someone I will be keeping a close eye on going forward. They began their set by explaining how much they simply love a laugh, which is arguably the fundamental requirement for being a comedian, before going around the audience to find out whether everyone else also loved a laugh. This effortlessly transitioned into a series of situations where laughter would not usually be considered appropriate, including a story about a colonoscopy in which, once the camera had been removed, they instructed the doctor to “now do a silly one.” Unsurprisingly, this had the audience howling with laughter. As the set progressed, however, Sam introduced a much more political and topical side to their comedy, discussing the ever-controversial trans toilet debate and joking that the issue could be solved simply by making people more desperate to use the toilet, as prejudice and discrimination quickly disappear when all you can think about is finding a bathroom. These two perspectives complemented the evening perfectly, as Gagged promised a night of queer comedy and Sam’s material captured both the light-hearted and thought-provoking sides of that experience.
Overall, Gagged at the Wales Millennium Centre was a queer-infused comedy night that showcased a plethora of talented performers while also shining a light on aspects of queer life that often go unnoticed. As host, Lee not only kept the audience entertained and excited for the acts to come but also interacted brilliantly with attendees, leading to many hilarious moments that felt entirely spontaneous. I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars.
Rhysreviews 