Harry Hill: Sausage Time

Harry Hill is the comedy equivalent of flares: not quite ready for a mainstream comeback. Nobody told Hill this though and the voice of You’ve been Framed is touring his new stand-up show Sausage Time.

Hill is best known for his ITV show Harry Hill’s TV Burp, but after 11 years the award-winning series was cancelled in 2012 to allow “the comic to pursue other projects”. Judging by the audience’s reception of last night’s performance, Hill should have kept hold of that contract.

Sausage Time (Hill’s first stand-up show since 2005) is ill-conceived, tatty and, worst of all, not laugh-out-loud funny. There is little in the way of preparation, as he decided on a few jokes, jotted them down and had the cockiness to wing it. Jokes were repeated, pauses were too lengthy and interactions with members of the front row were strained. At one point (so desperate for laughs) Hill chucked a bucket of water over his own head. This is stand-up, not ChuckleVision. 

High points of the show (there weren’t many) included a speedy monologue on the human constitution and a witty metaphor on immigration: “At least Parrots bothered to learn the language.” Sadly these peaks of humour were short-lived and the audience were soon drawn back into Hill’s unfunny fray.

Harry Hill is a household name and he knows it, charging £33.50 a ticket. Disappointingly, the material doesn’t reflect the price, so maybe Hill had the last laugh. Although teetering on top of some seriously high platform shoes, Hill is not on top of his game – Sausage Time is not worth forking out for. 

Alice Audley

Sausage Time runs until 11^th April 2013. For further information or to book visit the show’s website here.