A LANCASTRIAN cricketer showcasing his first attempt at stand-up comedy to a packed crowd in Yorkshire should be a recipe for disaster, and if Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff had any nerves prior to his performance at Hull City Hall, they would have been amplified when walking on to the stage to cries of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” from the audience.
Flintoff approaches stand-up comedy with the same bullishness that made him a legend on the pitch. The show is filled with blue humour and the odd risqué reference to allegations concerning other athletes; even those that have appeared alongside him on A League of Their Own are not safe.
Freddie was a spontaneous maverick on the cricket field, but as a performer on stage he is well drilled and well rehearsed. His routine flows seamlessly and his delivery, much like to Ricky Ponting at Edgbaston in 2005, is right on the spot.
It may have been billed as a double act, but this is more of a one-man show propped up by the support of his long-time friend, television producer and writer Clyde Holcroft. Freddie, just as he did in the field, carries the performance.
The set, filled with anecdotes from multiple Ashes series, his tour of India as captain of the Test side, as well as those notorious 2005 Ashes-winning celebrations, is delivered with familiarity as if he is addressing his teammates in the dressing room.
Flintoff has made a career out of defying the odds. Dismissed as an overweight young cricketer who lacked focus, he emerged as one of the country’s greatest all-rounders. From his short-lived boxing career he boasts an undefeated record – not even Muhammad Ali can claim that. His comedy, like everything else he has turned his hand to, is a surprising success.
See for yourself when he pads up for Second Innings at the Grand Opera House in York tomorrow night.
Freddie Flintoff, Second Innings, Hull City Hall; also playing Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow at 8pm. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york
Review by Mike Berriman
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