Luke Toulson

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.

If there was ever a man who could make stand up comedy look easy, effortless even, then Luke Toulson is that man. His casual, relaxed stage personality is surely the subject of many a stand up comedian’s professional envy, but Toulson is an immediately likeable comic, so it can be assumed that he will be forgiven.

Toulson may be slick but he certainly doesn’t come across as false or vacuous, in fact, quite the opposite; Chortle have in the past described him a “gimmick-free”. Of course, it is impossible to decipher true anecdotes from amended or altered ones. His material openly references his children and their mother and their mother’s new partner, amongst other things, and perhaps elements of these narratives are constructed for comedic effect. However, it is indisputable that the core beliefs behind anecdotes are genuine, or at least hold a nugget of truth, because they come from such a self-depreciating place, therefore giving Toulson’s comedy an endearing quality that is crucial for forming a long-lasting audience relationship.

Complaints and insecurities regarding fatherhood are common themes for male stand up comedians to tackle and when it takes an interesting, or perhaps darker, slant, the blend of emotional material and unpredictable writing can make for excellent comedy. This is a particular strength of Luke’s: a large portion of his material seems to talk about family, but it never becomes self-involved or overly indulgent on the behalf of the performer. There are enough sharp, cutting and sinister throwaway lines to allow him to get away with it.

Luke Toulson is arguably a performer before he is a writer (a compliment to his stage presence rather than insult to his material), by which I mean his movement around the stage and communication with, as well as consideration of, audiences makes him stand out against the majority of comics. He’s a natural story-teller and a very relatable one at that.

For more information, visit Luke Toulson’s website and follow him on Twitter.

SEPTEMBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH