Ricky Gervais in HBO Out of England The Stand-Up Special, Review and Analysis

April 3, 2009 by vongsundara 

Official Poster: Ricky Gervais in HBO Out of London The Stand-Up Comedy Special

Official Poster: Ricky Gervais in HBO Out of London The Stand-Up Comedy Special

I love Ricky Gervais. In fact, I’ve even got a little bit of a crush on him. He’s definitely got a certain charm to him. I know him mainly from his television and film roles and writing credits in The Office, Extras and Ghost Town, but I didn’t really know whether Ricky Gervais would be a good stand-up comedian.

It’s interesting to note that Ricky Gervais did not start out as a stand-up comedian. In fact, he considers stand-up as the final frontier to his comedy. It’s kind of like me in reverse, where stand-up was my first style and I’m venturing into improv. Because Ricky Gervais comes more from a writing background, his style of comedy is very different from most stand-up comedians. I definitely relate to Ricky’s style, as I come from a writing background as well.

Ricky is definitely brilliant, and I can learn a lot from his style. Let’s delve into what I feel makes Ricky Gervais a great stand-up comedian beginning with his stage attire and then going deeper into his mechanics.

How To Stand-Up Comedy: Simple Stage Attire

Ricky Gervais chose a simple black top and bottom for this HBO special. At first glance, it seems a little bit plain, but it certainly gets the job done by slimming him down. In the end, his simple look gave him the freedom he needed to gesture with his entire body, and it all came off as very casual and conversational.

How To Stand-Up Comedy: Establishing Yourself Early

Ricky definitely came out of the gates swinging, taking shots at Americans and establishing his tone very early. This is definitely something that I agree with, as I can relate to why Ricky did this. Ricky is a foreigner, which is made painfully obvious by his accent. He might as well point it out and get it out of the way early and then move on.

I like to use a similar technique when I first come out of the gates mentioning that I’m gay and Asian and then moving on quickly. It’s definitely better than having the audience wonder whether you’re gay throughout the entire audience (although I’m not sure anyone wonders whether I’m Asian).

How To Stand-Up Comedy: Playing Stupid to Tackle Difficult Topics

For a comedian who doesn’t consider himself political, Ricky Gervais definitely went after some very touchy topics: cancer, AIDs, Rosa Parks, slavery and war (among others). In fact, I’d say that Ricky went after more touchy topics than any other comedian on HBO in the last few years, including self-proclaimed edgy comedians.

Ricky accomplishes this task by basically playing stupid, lovably stupid. He pushes his persona enough that you know that underneath, he doesn’t really mean what he says, but it’s cute that he’s tackling such difficult subjects as an ignorant person. It’s kind of the Archie Bunker effect all over again.

How To Stand-Up Comedy: Vocal Intonation

Ricky is a definitely a man of my heart. The way he squeaks and squeals his voice in clever ways is very entertaining. I naturally squeak and play with my falsetto during my comedy, so it’s nice to see another comedian successfully execute a similar style.

How To Stand-Up Comedy: Acting Out

Ricky’s background as an actor helps greatly when he has to act out his stories. This is definitely my biggest weakness that I hope my adventure into improv will help correct. Ricky’s style is especially interesting to me.

Ricky has a way of acting out what he says without going over the top, which is something I am afraid of as I move more into improv. The last thing I want to be is an over-the-top comedian who loses the conversational tone with the audience. Thankfully, Ricky’s acting out feels natural, like how somebody would naturally act out while telling a story to a friend.

Live Review, Micro-Blogging Transcript

# Wow, what a bizarre opening, almost like a wrestling entrance.
# The production values are definitely really high for this special.
# I can’t believe he actually came out with a crown and cape. Haha. I thought that outfit was just for the promotional materials.
# Good choice in wearing all black, Ricky. It’s very slimming.
# Haha: “I keep all the money.”
# The audio isn’t that great for this production, which is unfortunate.
# I have to admit that I’ve got a bit of a crush on Ricky Gervais. He’s not my usual type, but there’s something about his accent and his confidence on stage.
# Ooh, I didn’t know that Ricky Gervais swore. Good use of swearing, though. Not overdone.
# Ricky speaks quickly, and I’m not catching everything he’s saying.
# Wow, Ricky’s going after cancer early and often.
# Ricky’s almost in constant motion. He’s walking around the stage and being really animated but not in an overdone kind of way.
# Hmm, there’s a weird sweat stain in the centre of his shirt that’s a little distracting.
# Wow, these fat jokes are hilarious, and I’ve heard a lot of fat jokes.
# Ricky is talking about fat people from the point of view that he doesn’t see himself as a fat person. It’s an interesting idea.
# I like how Ricky goes into his falsetto for certain phrases. At least I know I’m not the only one.
# Ricky is going after some hardcore topics, moreso than any other comedy special I have ever seen.
# Overall a very enjoyable stand-up routine. I was lost after halfway through, but the first half was dazzling. It was a very different type of stand-up, which says a lot.

Review Score: ★★★★☆ 

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