Having previously seen Noel Fielding in what he described as the worst gig of his life, my expectations going into ‘An Evening with Noel Fielding’ were pretty high. This performance had to wipe out that previous gig in my memory with something better and I knew the moment I walked into the theatre that my expectations would be met.
There wasn’t an empty seat in the house, and the people pouring in were greeted by a rather disturbing manikin and the moon hanging above the stage. Yet soon the lights went down and a raucous cheer went up as Fielding pranced onto the stage in a dark, glittering cape. It was as if he was wearing a bit of stardust stolen from the night sky; and that star power was carried through the show. The energy in the room was fantastic and even jokes that fell flat got a chuckle. No one left their seat during intermission, presumably so as not to miss a single second of the performance.
The additional use of animation and story telling made this feel a bit like a window into how Fielding thinks
The first half was backed up with song numbers, appearances by Mike Fielding and anecdotes that were a mix of probable reality and definite fantasy. The additional use of animation and story telling made this feel a bit like a window into how Fielding thinks, full of bright colours and plasticine musicians. Rather than slowing down now that he’s over forty, a sentence that is hard to believe, Fielding was energetic as ever and, if anything, improving with age. This performance was Noel Fielding at his best, a real treat for both old fans and newcomers alike.
The audience participation heavy second half, which is a risk for any performer, was made enjoyable for members who were content just watching as well as those involved without losing the momentum of the show. He gave a bit of a showcase to some of the fans who had dressed up which is a staple sight to any Fielding gig.
This performance was Noel Fielding at his best, a real treat for both old fans and newcomers alike.
One of the highlights of the night was when Fielding tried to improvise with an animation which not only obviously didn’t work but was quite funny in a schadenfreude type way as he tried to figure out where in the lines he was meant to be and the animation answered questions that he hadn’t asked. Other highlights included Mike Fielding’s appearances and, rather unusually, the moments when it was clear that Noel Fielding had made himself laugh.
Afterwards several people waited outside the Royal Concert Hall stage door hoping to meet him and were instead met with disappointment as the whole crew left via the front door instead. There were no complaints or any hard feelings though as everyone seemed to agree that it had been well worth their time and money and that the night had been everything that they had hoped for.
9/10
Ashley Dean
