Sauntering on stage on Thursday night, he got stuck right into the town, referring to it in numerous derogatory terms that this newspaper cannot print and laughing at the use of the prefix ‘Royal’. “I walked round your town, it didn’t take long, everything’s closed,” he said.
None of the 1,100-strong audience took offence, with most being glad of getting the Assembly Hall’s must-have ticket of the year— with some people reportedly spending more than £350 securing a £22.50 seat after the gig sold out within one hour from when tickets went on sale in February.
The comedian told the audience ‘it wasn’t a proper show’, he was just trying out new material for his latest stand-up show for called SuperNature. That’s why they had paid ‘just £19 for a seat’.
“Bits you don’t like won’t get in but the rest I’ll sell for millions,” he told the packed auditorium.
Gervais, who has in the past controversially hosted the Golden Globes, has just released a new Netflix comedy-drama, Afterlife, which sees him play a grieving reporter trying to come to terms with the death of his wife.
The comedian has described the response to the Netflix show as ‘amazing’ and he has revealed he is planning a second series.
The funny man did not hold back in front of his Tunbridge Wells audience, taking pot shots at everything from terminal illness to ‘dead baby gags’ but most people who turned up to see the comic perform, were not put off, many taking to social media following the show commending the comedian on his performance.
Anne Clarke wrote: “You’re a legend Ricky. Afterlife was amazing, and so was tonight. I’m happy to keep funding your mansion, and your cat.”
A Twitter user going by the name @shewhobakes1m added: “Such a good show! Thank you for coming to Kent. Still laughing in the car on the way home. Also, thank you for #AfterLife. A piece of genius that has touched so many affected by grief, myself included.”
Liz Mercer wrote: “Loved it and loved you. I don’t regret a single penny of the obscene platinum ticket price that my husband paid for.”
Taking to Twitter Gervais posted a picture of himself with a celebratory glass of wine, after the performance and said: “Thanks to the amazing crowd at my #SuperNature warm up in Tunbridge Wells tonight.
“You are very bad people for laughing at those terrible things I said. Disgusting. Cheers.”
