Review – Trying Hard

Trying Hard is the story of an engineering graduate who tries to become a comedian and sucks at it. But, gradually, we see him getter better as he evolves (metaphorically and literally) into a professional comic.

Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall has a laconic style and a sharp observational wit which makes for refreshingly intelligent comedy. It was a brave choice to start his show with deliberately-bad material and only gradually let out his best stand-up, but he can sell even his worst one-liners in the delivery. As the show gets on, and he entertains jokes with longer and increasingly hilarious set-ups, Alasdair’s real affinity for the stage comes to the foreground.

Trying Hard is ultimately let-down by the framing narrative, which detracts too far from the comedy and kills all the momentum his stand-up can muster. The “personal growth” montages throughout his act, which he tries to sell with some ingenious costume and set design, instead should have been trimmed from the show in favour of what Alasdair does best: honest, insightful and absurdist stand-up.