Robert Newman: The Dependence Day Video (1994) (V)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Writer:

Rob Newman (writer)

Cast

Rob Newman

...

Himself

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Brilliant in every way

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

When I actually managed to get hold of a copy of Rob's first stand-up show after his partnership with Baddiel ended, I didn't really know what to expect. After a shaky last couple of years with Baddiel, I didn't really expect this show to be one of his finest pieces of stand-up comedy.

He's clearly on top form here, he's confident with his new material. I especially liked his "upcoming" study on gender equality "female like me", and his revenge on on the emergency services man, it's brilliantly funny stuff. He interacts with and gets on with the audience, it really is a massive change from how he was when he was with Baddiel. Compare the wembley video and dependence day, he seems a lot happier here standing on his own, he does go down the bitterness road as he says, quite a lot actually, but that's okay, because he always brings us back to the comedy road (not my analogy there, its his) I didn't know to expect one of his finest pieces of work from this after reading the review of the show on amazon.co.UK, which I'm guessing is from seeing him live somewhere else, because in this he doesn't tell the story of belmarsh prison, and all of his stand-up routine and Jarvis are appreciated by the audience to the extent they should be.

If you ever get the chance to read the book Dependence Day, I do recommended it. I got hold of a copy not long ago and only just bothered to start reading it, and let me just say, its f*****g weird. It starts off with a story about a guy being stalked by David Bowie.

Watching this now in 2008, 14 years after it was recorded, it seems strange that Rob hasn't gone on to be a bigger comedian. I mean, he and Baddiel sold out at Wembley, of course in my opinion Rob's much more talented, and really could just as easily been as recognisable today as David Baddiel is, more so even. But now he's doing what he wants to do in spite of how marketable it is, and I respect that. I mean, I do prefer his personal monologues of the early 90's to the heavy political stuff he does now (great though that is), and dependence day is a great example of that.

At 60 minutes, it ain't that long, but what you get is one of the funniest, energetic most enjoyable stand up shows I've seen in a long time.