If there’s a more charming comedian than Tiernan Douieb offering his wares in Edinburgh this year, then I’ll happily eat the gold paper fan which he so thoughtfully distributes to each audience member at the beginning of his show.
Littlest Things is about the gold paper fans of everyday life – those small gestures of kindness that get lost and forgotten about. It’s a call to arms of the politest kind; a challenge to remember that the littlest things can make a difference to someone’s day, and to remember to take note when someone does one of those things for you.
Douieb moves through his life creating a grand list of people he thinks he should have thanked, memorialising them and the moments they represent with quiet charm and eloquent wit. Beautifully paced, it’s a list which traverses first jobs, life-long friends and backpacking in Eastern Europe, leaving enough space for detours into the anecdotes which Douieb excels in.
There’s a deceptive precision and craft to Littlest Things.
Douieb performs with such confidence that it’s easy to overlook how well his material comes together, or how often he generates laughter. It’s a sleight of hand that is all part of the show’s understated charm.
In case Douieb sounds too perfect he’s also happy to point out all the things he’s done wrong, the times he’s screwed up, and the people he’s hurt along the way. Littlest Things forces not only Douieb to look inwards but his audience too.