Jerrod Carmichael is a superb standup – if only he’d stop checking his phone on stage
almost 2 years in The guardian
The US comedian, who won an Emmy for the remarkable 2022 special Rothaniel, makes a bemusing visit to London When Sarah Silverman took to the stage at Hammersmith Apollo one night in 2008, she couldn’t have been more hip, or more hyped – America’s most cutting-edge comic come among us. Forty-five measly minutes later, her reputation – at least among short-changed London comedygoers – was in tatters. I was reminded of this at Soho theatre this week, when Jerrod Carmichael, creator of the 2022 special Rothaniel – showered with justified accolades and an Emmy award – made a rare UK appearance, and went down like a dead shark.At least Carmichael’s gig didn’t end, like Silverman’s, with a crowd in open revolt. The mood was more bemusement, that one of the world’s most revered comics should self-sabotage to this degree. How he did so, at least, was interesting – and clearly had its roots in Rothaniel, an extraordinary set (directed for HBO by the great Bo Burnham) to file alongside Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette in the pantheon of shows that recast standup into new shapes – and darker colours. Continue reading...
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