From the moment Dominic Holland walked on stage, he held the
audience.
I have never seen a crowd buy into a comic so quickly or so completely - even Holland was taken aback.
Holland is the most likeable comic on the circuit I've seen and is one of finest peddlers of observation comedy. He is Mr Saturday Night and is one of busiest comedy writers and performers in the UK. He has paid his dues and is reaping the reward of experience.
Holland's writing has always been top notch but what really stood out was how his performance skills have improved and how his already excellent timing has become faultless.
Like a heavyweight fighter, he would floor the audience with a killer line then, just as we were back on our feet, he would keep us on the ropes with sucker-punch sub-jokes.
He knows exactly how long to string a joke out and his riffing is superb. He knows all the different roads to turn down and he never once steered into a cul-de-sac.
Holland's routines are meticulously crafted and are built on bewilderment and bemusement.
He covered a lot of stuff, including his family and the job, but was at his best articulating quirks we all share and vocalising what we've all thought before and maybe talked about in the pub - only making it a lot funnier than we ever could.
One of the best lines was: "If getting into a nice, clean bed is such a great feeling, why don't we do it more?"
He wears his experience well and has a lovely, unspiteful take on life, which makes a nice change from a lot of other comics.
It's always a delight to see a master craftsman at work, doing what he loves doing best . . . turning large groups of people into quivering, helpless masses.
Dan Urben dan.urben @theargus.co.uk
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