Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.
When a performer is confident on stage, both in material and in justification of views, audiences are immediately more inclined to trust them. It takes an astute comedian to tread the line between arrogance and self-deprecation in an interesting way, and this is where Fin Taylor’s skill shines through. Fin casts his opinions with authority; the statements may sometimes be bold (university students aren’t fully-formed people, for example) but he justifies them well. His reasoning is sensible, despite his initial declarations being met with laughter.
Fin Taylor is a bold voice in the realm of satirical stand up comedy who has fun playing around with irony, presenting shocking ideas that are followed up with surprisingly well-justified reasoning. He doesn’t solicit the audience’s affections, nor does he grovel or expect pity when he is the butt of the joke. In fact, Fin explicitly states that he doesn’t deserve pity, as he confesses ‘I have had such an easy start to life’, yet makes a humble attempt at using his privilege to challenge previously held assumptions and attitudes.
© Fin Taylor
The comedian has brought three shows to the Edinburgh Festival, with his latest show Whitey McWhiteface (2016) making a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike as the comic considered the issue of racism from his perspective of a privileged white man, whilst avoiding an apologist approach. Fin’s manner of stand up comedy easily translates from serious political comment to more trivial everyday matters, showing an integrity to his performance: he successfully adapts his style to allow him to cover a broad range of topics (whether that be social, political or nitpicking), thus proving himself to be an exciting component of the British stand up scene.
For more information, follow Fin Taylor on Twitter or visit his website.