one4review | On 03, Aug 2025

There is a quiet kind of thrill in watching a comic step into their prime. Ralph Brown, long a clever and likeable presence on the circuit, arrives this year with something far sharper, deeper — and frankly, funnier — than anything he’s done before.

He opens, fittingly, with pace and precision: a taut, finely tuned recap of My First Hostage Situation, last year’s standout set based on a terrifying real-life gig disrupted by a gunman. But this time the story isn’t about the trauma itself — it’s about what lingers after. How events like that dislodge the foundations of your life, and how, in the absurdity of the aftermath, we turn to self-help gurus, guided meditations, and bad therapy in the hope of restoring something like balance.

Brown’s gift lies in his restraint. He never overplays a punchline or signals too hard. Instead, he guides us — gently but purposefully — through a finely wrought hour about anxiety, ego, regret, finances, and the small humiliations that build up over time like emotional debt. It is observational comedy, yes, but executed with uncommon clarity, craft and soul.

The second half of the show shifts with palpable confidence — moving from introspection into freewheeling farce as Brown recounts his flailing attempts to “fix” himself. It’s here the show soars. There’s a frenzied, almost slapstick desperation to some of his stories, but they’re anchored by real vulnerability and, crucially, immaculate structure. The show never meanders. It unfolds.

For all the self-deprecation on display, this is a comic in total command of his voice. Brown has always been good. Here, he’s genuinely great. He’s not chasing clips or algorithms or trying to wedge in a pre-packaged TED Talk. He’s doing something rarer: building a full-bodied narrative that rewards the audience for paying attention.

By the end, you’re left with the sense of having witnessed a major leap forward — not just in material, but in ambition. Brown isn’t simply telling jokes anymore. He’s crafting something that stays with you.

A masterclass in storytelling, structure and comic insight. If there’s any justice, Dead Inside will mark the moment Ralph Brown stopped being a comedians favourite and became essential viewing.

****
Reviewed by Steve H
Stand 4
16.20 to 17.20
Until 24th August (not 11th, 18th)