Sarah Silverman Booed At London Show

US comedian Sarah Silverman was heckled on stage during her UK stand-up debut in London.

Fans, who had paid about £50 a ticket, slow hand clapped and shouted they wanted their money back after the star's short 40-minute set.

After the audience refused to leave, Silverman was forced to give a Q&A session as an encore after admitting she had no other material prepared.

The comedian has her own show on US cable TV network Comedy Central.

Unimpressed fans shouted "you're over-hyped Sarah" and "I've seen longer clips on YouTube", before the star told the audience to "go home" and the left the stage.

Reviewers from comedy websites and national newspapers were also left underwhelmed by Silverman's set at the Hammersmith Apollo, which "fizzled out" by the end.

Keep reading BBC

-or-

Read Daily Mail report:

Hailed as the 'world's hottest, most controversial comedian', Silverman made her full-length UK debut at London's Hammersmith Apollo last night in front of an audience that included Hollywood star Keanu Reeves.

The 37-year-old comedian charged £35 for a performance of less than an hour, where she appeared anxious and uncomfortable.

-or-

Read The Times review of 2 stars:

She knows the limitations of her arrogant-ignorant persona. But she's not used to having to explain herself. As she stalked the stage, appearing to resent her crowd for wanting more, it was the eggiest end to a comedy show I've ever seen. Edging back to the wings with a mock-grandiose bow, it was the usual petulance but without the usual inverted commas. She blew it.

Comments

[sunnyokanagan]

I think Silverman has an unappreciated streak of the old Andy Kaufman. Not everyone "gets" her and so what?

[zona9]

For shame sunny, for shame. To even utter the name Andy Kaufman in the same sentence as the no talent Silverman is blasphemy!

[renatam]

Part 2

Sarah's Comedy -- and I like some of it -- is based upon a particular zeitgeist that Americans get via its pervasiveness since the inception of TV in America -- but, not at all about the Brit/European experience. There is nothing for the audience to connect to and be part of. They are outsiders in Sarah's Comedy.

I saw Bill Cosby a generation ago, in Europe. I was fascinated at how he reworked his show to make the European experience and our universal human frailties - part of his show, as opposed to seeing him in Harlem's Apollo Theater.

Chris Rock interviewed w/Larry King a few weeks ago -- and stated he wove the local culture INTO his show -- based upon what we share as common humanity.

Sarah Silverman, rather than MOCKING her audience because they did not share her particular point of (comedy) view -- should have risen above her personal pique and SERVED THE AUDIENCE. If her comedy is so limited she cannot build bridges to different cultural perspectives inclusively -- then she should confine her comedy to where it is appreciated, uniquely -- or broaden her OWN perspective to outside of her own cultural asthete.

Sarah has promise, but she needs to travel a bit outside of her particular bubble(s).

[wolfgangmo]

Best comment yet on the subject.

She ain't a pro yet. She still has much growing to do. If the brit audience reacted to anything, it is the fact that she didn't perform for the audience but for herself. The way she ended the show was obviously reflective of that.

I happen to find her mildly amusing, but honestly it is obvious that she is not one of the greats.

[renatam]

Part 1

Precisely. Europeans are attracted to broader themes that are universal (Shakespere's Comedies, that are timeless), less MOCKERY at the expense of others and/or of those that are different - openly. Sarah offers the inverse -- and, a kind of inside joke that everyone (overseas) don't feel they want to or can -- join.

Brits, in particular, like pathos as a universal them of man. This CLASS system still likes their comedy to embrace our common humanity.

[hughbetcha]

You're right. I see a lot of that sort of pathos and embracing the common humanity stuff on Benny Hill.

[patnb]

I never was a big fan of Sarah Silverman. I started to dislike her after I saw her years ago on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher- she got into a fight with a Hispanic community leader that was actually frightening. She tore his head off in a rage, she seemed insane and homicidal, It didn't look like an act. After that, she creeped me out.

[dollphingurl]

yes, i think silverman is a bit not cool, and that's putting it mildly. she can be severely inappropriate and culturally insensitive at moments, but whatever. at least she's helping get out the vote for obama in the jewish community. that's very much appreciated.

hey, nobody's perfect. but we can all try to do the best we can, where we are, with what we have.

so STOP HATIN'!

[wolfgangmo]

Give her time. In about 20 years, she and all the the ex-Kimmel/Silverman fans will move to Florida and proceed to screw elections up.

[Badger84]

She seems to think that anything shocking is inherently funny.

[zona9]

Exactly.

[chendri887]

Personally, I think she is funny. I also think she very vulnerable, despite her sarcastic persona. She's open about her struggle with depression, anxiety, and use of Paxil to combat it. I wouldn't have heckled her, even I paid seventy bucks to see her. I would just figure she was having a bad night and left her alone.

[jazzpotato]

As far as I've seen, Sarah doesn't do "stand up" or "insult" comedy. Her stage presence is a character that is too clueless to know she is ignorant. It's satire, not intended to shock for shock's sake, but to point the finger at all of us for pretending we don't have underlying prejudice. Too hip for the room, I guess.

That said, 40 minutes was a rip-off.

[TripsyDaily]

I just cannot see her humor going over well across the pond. Her 'edgy' outrageous stereotypes of Jews are just everyday statements to the Brits. She might as well been standing up on stage reading out of The Oxford Encyclopedia.

[jmyoung666]

Wow,

What's with all the hate? She is funny. The fact that she is hot is beside the point. See Jesus is Magic. However, I would be pissed if I paid to see her live and she ended after a 40 minute set myself.

[HamletsMill]

She isn't funny. And neither is Jimmy Kimmel. Total no talents. Whatever happened to Pauly Shore too?

[GiannaX]

Jimmy Kimmel IS talented and funny.

[SColbert]

wow, she sucks. Why would anyone pay to see her?

[angryliberal]

She's Dane Cook with boobs.

[Adere]

Doesn't Dane Cook already have...?

[Kevbo68]

Yup. His fans.

Fastball over the plate!

[LouisianaLiberal]

What is wrong with you people? Sarah Silverman was a B List pop culture figure not exactly on a meteoric rise prior to her The Great Schlep UTube video. She had a smallish following of devoted fans who loved her. So what? It wasn’t my cup of tea either but as soon as I saw The Great Schlep I became an instant fan.

Sarah Silverman is an example of that group of younger people who have taken this political cycle seriously and will eventually win this election for the Democrats. So, whoa there you Silverman bashers, she’s out there sticking her neck out trying to get Barack elected as hard as y’all are (in most cases harder).

I don’t know why her set was short. That’s another issue. But she has my respect and well wishes if not my support of her work. Go get ‘em Sarah!

[granamica]

Comics die on stage all the time. She'll write funnier skits, next time. If she were smart, she would realize that her type of comedy doesn't travel that well. Humor is situational and in England it is humour and that's just a start.

I do find that kind of funny, though. And I liked the great Schlepp.

[TheHandyman]

Wow, trying to get the lesser of 2 evils elected. What an important goal. What else would you call someone who advocates invading other countries to kill terrorists. Remind you of anyone else? Or maybe a couple of people? And she charges how much? A lot more than a janitor, or a teacher or a nurse, people who actually do something that makes a difference.

[hughbetcha]

I'm surprised all those `sophisticated' Brits were so stupid as to part with 50 pounds teach to see this minor league comic. Chris Rock maybe, Silverman no way.

[StaggerLee]

Could this be the beginning of the end of Sarah Silverman, I hope so. Are we so desperate to laugh in this country that even sub mediocrity is acceptable?

[dollphingurl]

yes. just as we're so desperate for magic that we give David Blaine actual status.

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

Look at who has been president for the last 8 years. This country seems to accept mediocrity quite readily.

[frecklesmom]

She's amazingly not funny in any way, shape or form. The surprise is that they booked her at all to do a show.

[Mantle]

Funny, she is not. I never understood how she managed to make it this far. I think she tries hard to shock people, but that never works for me.

[TaiwanTim]

Sarah is a hell of lot more entertaining than that annoying Rachel Maddow.

[PhDiva]

Rachel's a Rhodes Scholar. She's not a comedian. She's not trying to entertain you, she's trying to educate you. Learn.

[Lerk4]

The fact that you would even compare the two tells us all we need to know about you. You and Sarah can ride off into the sunset... and I bet no one will miss you.

[dollphingurl]

ROFL @ Lerk4 --- you're the best!

[brownforall]

You ever wonder why Palins NOT releasing her medical records? It sure makes me wonder because her and Mccain wont!

[wolfgangmo]

Comedian = comedy.

Maddow = enlightenment.

You = clueless.

[hughbetcha]

Maddow looks like Einstein compared to Silverman.