The Age of Arthritis is 60 minutes of stand-up comedy from David Savage - an observational and personal account of ageing and old age. He has a full head of grey hair; a walking-stick; a beige fisherman's hat with badges; a black tee-shirt with a design of a red hat and the words Melly & Friends For Dementia (commemorating the late jazz musician George Melly (1926-2007); and trousers. Format of the show is simple: the performer stands with room lighting, there's a mic and a sound operator.

He says that he is 66 years old. The set includes recollection of his late doctor who retired to the Isle of Wight; a polite rant; a broken-leg joke; difficulties people cope with and the question of where people come from; birth in St Mary's Maternity Hospital, Croydon; being born in World War Two (1939-1945); a German bombing raid which hit the hospital; rationing; love of mother; first date; 19-year marriage; 20-year divorce; show for Radio 4 and its response; being chatted up; new women; a poem; home; dirty old men; positives of passing 60 years-old; rail and bus pass; quiet carriage of trains; Twittering and birds; a car his daughter sold him; refresher driving lessons; babies born in 1944; protests outside the US Embassy in London about the war against Vietnam (1955-1975); and many other topics. There are poems written about him by other people which are read well as part of the performance.

David Savage comes across as a likeable personality; there is the impression of a kind man who is liked and amusing. The style feels generally very factual in his accounts of incidents, followed in most cases with a one-liner joke. It has the atmosphere of being perhaps better-suited to a casual round-the-table conversation in a pub on a Sunday afternoon rather than a stand-up set. Although the performer is billed as The Non-PC Pensioner, it is not offensive, and there's no full-on ranting. It's more like a courteous moan at life and some of the aspects of getting older. The set makes comparisons between now - contemporary society - and then - the years of his younger days, and the surprises - almost bewilderments - that this can bring. Mainly the material is mildly amusing rather than laugh-out-loud. Often this is because material which holds potential for comedy is not fully developed and completed into structured routines. The content and incidents which make up the hour could hold promise for a defined act; in each episode, material could be cut so that all irrelevancies are removed and the core humour - the joke - identified and delivered. Tonight's performance is the first night and there is some understandable nervousness; but the performer holds the stage confidently and commands the space. His presence is there - he is easy to watch, and there is a willingness for him to succeed, which is crucial for a performer. It is a matter of a lot of hard work on the material to bring it up to the level of strong performance.

Cast Credits: David J Savage.

Company Credits: Writer - David J Savage. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - Barry Jones. Front of House - Alan Lilley, Alan Plummer. Producer - David J Savage. Company - David J Savage, the Non-PC Pensioner.

END

(c) Claudia Nettleford 2010

reviewed Tuesday 10 August 2010 / The Bridge House, London UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com