one4review | On 07, Aug 2025

It’s Tuesday lunchtime*, yet the room is full and the crowd eager.  Ian Smith is clearly happy that his regulars are back and that his fame is spreading, but especially that the quality of his flyers have been remarked upon – more gsm apparently.

There are so many gems amongst the funnies that it is difficult not to continually grin between laughs.  Ian is superb at short anecdotes about mundane unrelated topics, but with the Smithy treatment they magnify, leaving you wondering how he does it.  So you will get a few dozen of those, with topics ranging from rice pudding to Louis CK and wiki to the brilliant imagery of a seagull in a posh pub garden, plus a serious and important narrative arc that hides behind all the jesting, throwaways, wordplay and diversions.

Indeed he joyfully introduces an alternative to callbacks which is a flash forward to something later in the show, followed by the question how will he get there? – there is a roar when he does.  And it would not be surprising if Ian Smith’s show doesn’t provide the winning line in one of the Joke of the Fringe competitions this year.  My vote is for his seagull, but let’s see.

It would be a shame (spoiler alert) to highlight the hidden narrative arc.  At one point he does ask to be allowed to be serious, and even then he isn’t.

Ian Smith continues to grow in style and panache, underpinned by his continually improving writing and performance skills – the audience are loving it, and him.  Appearances on HIGNFY and NewsQuiz have really brought out his ability to show that he is clever, knows his politics, as well as continuing to be a bit off the wall.  Bravo!

*  Extra evening performances are being added

*****

Reviewed by HJ

Monkey Barrel 1

Various Times

Until 24 Aug (not 13)