Oct
You wouldn’t think a man as tall as Stephen Merchant could ever shrink into the background, but that’s often the case when it comes to his partnership with Ricky Gervais. As Gervais does anything and everything he can to garner attention, Merchant seems happy to let him, playing second fiddle whenever he pops up next to Gervais on An Idiot Abroad or throws out questions during their podcasts with Karl Pilkington.
The truth is, though, that when it comes to live stand-up, Stephen Merchant is ten times the comedian Gervais is. While Gervais only started doing live comedy after the success of The Office, Merchant was doing it long before then, meaning he’s had the time to craft his on stage persona and his material. While Gervais’ last stand-up tour Science was something of a failure – at one point calling Susan Boyle a ‘mong’ to get a cheap laugh – the arrival of Merchant’s first ever live tour is conversely cause for celebration. Whereas Science felt half-baked, Merchant’s set has been honed over a number of years, and unlike Gervais, his self-trumpeting and boasting plays things just the right side of ironic.
Reaching Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Oct 17th, Merchant’s tour Hello Ladies is ostensibly an attempt to find himself a lady, although naturally it’s actually just a chance to point out his own shortcomings, particularly when he displays what his face would look like to any woman lying beneath him during intercourse.
Forget that Gervais fellow – Merchant is where the real talent is.
