Bob Koomen: Pear comedy review – Underplayed absurdism
The wide-eyed Dutch comic fails to find his groove in an hour of unmet potential
Bob Koomen just wants to connect with people. Finding himself in highly unusual situations with people struggling to understand his motives, Koomen ploughs ahead with his ‘great ideas’ (stealing bananas from shopping baskets, creating an app that combines Tinder with Too Good To Go), every life experience sparking the soft surrealism he revels in.
For this kind of material to work, the weirdness really needs to be dialled up to its fullest and tonight Koomen’s timing and confidence seem off from the start, despite his wide-eyed delivery. An opening section about unemployment and job interviews is hesitant, while an early attempt at crowd work quickly fizzles out, which could perhaps be attributed to first-night nerves. A musical interlude, with Koomen sitting at a handpan and discussing the best way to butcher a lobster, fares better, pointing to a comedy brain looking to explore areas that might showcase his Dutch absurdities more robustly.
Bob Koomen: Pear, Just The Tonic The Hive, until 30 August, 8.30pm; picture: Jaap Reedijk.