Lloyd Griffith: One Tonne of Fun review

We invited local reviewer Jack Davey to The Drill to watch the fabulous Lloyd Griffith – check out his piece below!

Lloyd Griffith and Frank Sinatra. A self-comparison made by Lloyd. Well, the fact that they both have eyes anyway.

However there might be more similarities than first meets the eye, as Lloyd commands the stage with a presence that leaves viewers in awe of his talents. A triple threat of a performer, with comedy, acting and singing, we were in for a delight. Being a Lincolnshire comedian, this gig gave an added personal flavour to the night. Lloyd began by asking for a cheer for audience members from Lincoln, and those not. Greeted with a large round of noise for those from Lincoln meant that I really felt a vibrant feel for the community. Though upon Lloyd announcing his home lies in Grimsby, raucous audience members in the back gave playful heckles which served a local reminder of Lincoln and Grimsby’s rivalry. Though when Lloyd asked them to repeat their responses, the room went still, commanding the atmosphere in a very masterful yet charming way, because when you’re in one of Lloyd Griffin’s audiences, you are always at the mercy of a mischievous joke that might leave you a little red faced.

Following Lloyd after a 20-minute introduction was his support act, rising comedy star Matt Bragg. His segment was brilliant, with a dark humour where I would feel almost guilty laughing at the jokes. Very satirical, Matt’s routine was of very different style to Lloyd’s with a more scripted run and fewer quips towards the audience. With macabre jokes such as how hearses are coming for his grandfather, there was a slight feeling of whiplash compared with Lloyd’s cheery demeanour; nonetheless the pair were both hilarious in their own styles.

The interval hit and gave everyone chance to stretch their legs. I was able to observe the auditorium, and consider the history behind the Drill Hall, over a century’s worth, beginning with military training and evolving to live entertainment. A fusion of classic brickwork and neon modern architecture really helped to highlight this development. The reason I really enjoyed this space was because of its size. With approximately 350 seats, the distance between the audience and stage was very intimate so the attention always remained captivating. I was graciously invited to be seated in the circle, and it was a perfect view with no obstruction to the stage so I felt fully engrossed.

The second half of the show was greeted with a thunderous applause, though we were all cluelessly anticipating what Lloyd would surprise us with next. His improvisation skills bouncing from audience members was absolutely flawless, with a perfect tongue in cheek humour that also had elements of our real world problems. The cost of living crisis was occasionally brought up, but the ability to make light of the situation was a perfect escapism, to just forget about worries, and in my case, laugh until your face hurts. Not to mention that Lloyd is a genuinely phenomenal singer. With a hilarity to these moments (singing a musical about his daily routine, in which he keeps forgetting his bags for life), I think I can speak on behalf of all the audience when I say we just wanted to hear more! One of the most memorable of Lloyd’s lines was how he stated he would be Prime Minister one day, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind that!

The Drill regularly hosts Red Herring Comedy Club (next up on Saturday 4th Feb 2023), as well as other comedians including Troy Hawke, Jimeoin, Mark Thomas and more, so pay attention to their website and socials to find out who you could be seeing next. An absolutely huge thank you to the Lincoln Drill team for having me along for this wonderful event. It really was a standout performance from Lloyd and Matt, definitely both worth keeping an eye out for.

You can find Jack on Twitter and Instagram @jackdavxy