Tim Batt Explores The Human Experience Review

Like a teenager hopped up on nose candy, Tim delivers an energetic performance complete with seething rants and wide eyed possum-like scatterishness in his new show The Human Experience.

Much like the human experience that is life, Tim’s show strolls merrily off track into the amusing recesses of high society, McDonald’s donation buckets and the complaints department at the IRD.

It is all woven together by a wacky, yet believable, central narrative that sees our hero Tim wandering aimlessly through Newmarket while high off his face after losing his girlfriend of 2.5 years. Times are dark. The provocative stroking of Egyptian cotton sheets and the ensuing decimation of a Visa card are hilarious tales of human misfortune which everyone can relate to on some level.

It wouldn’t even be too great a leap to suggest a few plumes had been inhaled prior to stepping on stage, especially since the latter half of the performance divulges into a weed-fuelled rant which is as confusing as it is funny. The rest of the gags and giggles spew forth un-hindered, with an offensive set of religious commandments  thrown in the mix – just cause.

Tim’s stance on road rage is incredibly apt, with many audience members nodding their heads in agreement.

Tim’s affable nature, combined with the intimacy of a venue like the Montecristo, makes for an easy watch. Even though he has performed on television, a regular on the 7 Days show, one cannot help but feel he would clean up at University O-Weeks and Dunedin related festivals or in some underground NYC venue where early American comedic greats started out.

Explorative, lively and with just the right amount of insult, The Human Experience is just that; a safari of the painful truths. A strong contender for this years Billy T Award.

Reviewed by Nicholas Brookland

Tim Batt Explores The Human Experience at The Montecristo until Sat 16 May, 8.15pm – Sundays at 7.15pm (No Monday shows).

3.5 stars small

Comments

comments