Review – Nob Happy Sock
Simon Keck appeared on stage dressed in blue-striped pyjamas to perform his show with its silly little title, Nob Happy Sock. You would be perfectly justified in thinking, at this point, that you were in for a light and delightful little comedy set, and you would be wrong in equal measure.
Nob Happy Sock is something of a memoir of Keck’s life up until his suicide attempt, and the show works because, and this is going to sound morbid, but it’s a fascinating tale. I’ve already spoilt it to a bunch of my friends because it is just that tragically hilarious, and also very relatable to anyone who’s ever had doubts about what they’re doing with their life. But Keck is also a formidable comic, and he’s able to indulge his story with charming (and occasionally scatological) asides. Talking about his life in Sydney, he complains about living with three female housemates, “There were panties everywhere, and not in the fun way.” It’s jokes like these, quick little snippets of misdirection, that give the show just the right amount of levity to work as funny and thoughtful entertainment.
It’s somewhere in comedy’s mission statement to (a) laugh in the face of tragedy and (b) make taboo topics the subject of public discourse. Simon Keck is triumphant on both fronts, and Nob Happy Sock is a fine example of comedy at its very best. Just a warning, though: he evokes some pretty confronting visual imagery, and you may find yourself needing to take a few deep breaths at a couple of points.
