https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffh0ylViX4s
An Italian Slice Of Life
Armed with witty, observational comedy, accents and a plethora of jabs at Italian culture, Temi Caldi is the latest stand-up show from Edoardo Ferrario. While some of the jokes are quite good and the format kept simple, the decidedly Italian slant to proceedings makes this a difficult sell for International audiences. Having said that, there is some good material here but Italian audiences are likely to get a lot more out of this one. The stand-up begins right off the bat with a selection of jokes about Rome and Italian society. If I’m honest, despite visiting Italy several times some of these jokes were a bit lost on me. From here though, Edoardo talks about turning 30 and the trials and tribulations that go with that. This segment of the show is much more accessible to global audiences and after a bit of a rocky start, the stand-up begins to build some momentum. This segment transitions nicely into travelling in the EU and the various holidays Edoardo has been on. From here, Edoardo discusses famous paintings and artists in arguably the best segment of the show. He then discusses commercialization of the art industry and the various ideas famous painters like Salvador Dali had. Reading horoscopes and Italian magazines are up next before discussing dubbing in Italian films. The stand-up then concludes with a long joke about the worst gig he’s ever done. Peppered throughout the set are a few light segments involving the audience. Although these usually revolve around asking a simple question or their name, it is enough to make for a more involving stand-up routine. Having said that, the segments involving accents and re-enacted dialogues do feel a tad overlong and lose some of the power they could have had as the punchline is dragged out. Having said that, this is a distinctly Italian stand-up routine. If you’re not clued up on Italian culture, you’re unlikely to understand some of the people or events Edoardo discusses, making this stand-up a little restrictive for global audiences. Despite this, some of the recurring jokes including this do land quite well with the audience and certainly show off a clever way of writing to bring earlier jokes back into the fold. It won’t be for everyone but it’s certainly worth giving a go as there is some good comedy here. Just be ready for a distinctly Italian flavour to proceedings if you take the dive.
