His delivery is sublime. When he reaches the punchline of his stories, he lets out a Dave Chappelle-like shriek that acts like a metaphysical tickle. Perhaps I laughed so much because I could relate to much of his material, but the way he can tackle such petty issues like the numbers on a toaster and mix them in with bigger lessons from his travels in Africa is simply brilliant.
His set was also incredibly honest, building up tension towards the revelation of one hysterical secret. Okine’s strength is not only that he talks about what he knows, but the relaxed, colloquial language he employs makes the whole show feel like a conversation rather than a monologue. This is one of the things I’ve learnt about what separates excellent comedians from the good comedians: jokes and stories are told as if the comedian was talking with friends, rather than lecturing at an audience.
A RAW Comedy finalist about eight years ago, and winner of the Best Newcomer Award at MICF 2012, Okine has the storytelling ability of a veteran who’s been in the game for decades, and combines this with accessible material relevant to a younger audience.
BY NICK TARAS
