Stephen K. Amos: Now we’re talking! Review – Good joyful fun that keeps the laughter flowing | platform

‘WWe’re here, guys, to laugh,” and “See?” We’re laughing! There’s a lot of this reflexive sarcasm at the start of Stephen K. Amos’ tour: a lot of thinking out loud about laughter, reminding us that that’s what we’re here to do. One routine asks if and why animals laugh, and another — all that amygdala and those endorphins — considers what laughter does to our brains. Another sarcasm explores the Venn diagram that unites laughter, orgasm, And sneezing.

It all speaks to a certain confidence from the veteran that his 75-minute show will keep the laughs flowing. And it is, if not in the most adventurous way. Later in the show he tells us that Now We’re Talking! It is his departure; “I wanted to be more honest.” But the series is not characterized by its fresh thinking, or any sense of intimacy. Its hallmark is joy and harmonic fun, as Amos ventures into orthodox views and pertinent observations about changing times, social media, and decadent modernity.

So, after the funny material, the show returns to Amos’s youth, the son of Nigerian immigrants navigating casual racism, harsh parental discipline, a television with only three channels, and a nightly curfew. Compare that to today, where everyone’s idiotic opinions are freely broadcast. “I’m not saying it was better in the old days,” Amos protests, reluctant to sound like a grumpy old man. But if that’s not what he says, that’s what he means.

But at least he does it in an entertaining way. The film may rely on somewhat cheap humour, but its routine about an African newcomer to the UK facing a meat lottery is hard to resist. Elsewhere, there’s a quirky figure about the Dunning-Kruger effect, by which ignorant people overestimate their own intelligence. Meanwhile, a vignette of the origins of comics – home economics lessons and unattractive rubber shower accessories – brings the 1970s to life in a poignant way. The standing fare may be familiar. But given Amos’s newfound interest in the science of laughter, there’s enough here to warrant his presentation as a case study.