one4review | On 18, Aug 2015

This is the most stand-up of comedy that I’ve seen Mr Coltrane do: no stories about his year of activism, or poking fun at people in power, but an hour of solid political comedy. It’s political in subject matter – the election, the Tories, the Labour leadership contest, the Green party – but also in the points he makes about all sorts of subjects, including drugs, the media and benefits.
It’s unashamed polemic but never descends into didactic. As Chris says, in my favourite line of the whole show, we are entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts. As a show based on Chris’ opinions, it’s inevitably going to offend somebody (I heard a couple moaning on the way up the street) …but given the impossibility of total consensus of opinion, that’s probably just an indicator that you’re doing it right.
This stand-up, in the entirety of the package (delivery, enthusiasm, passion, amazing opening slide show, structure, quality of funny) looks and feels like the stand-up you see on telly, and it’s because of that that I think this is Mr Coltrane’s most subversive show so far: it sucks you in before you realise he isn’t talking about getting drunk or his previous life as a whatever, but about the sharp end of politics and why this stuff actually matters.
I doubt many of the non-left will attend this show, so there may be little brainwashing, but for the converted, its definitely inspiring.

*****

Reviewed by Laura

Banshee Labirynth, 15:30