Review by Steve Bennett

We critics are not supposed to reveal the identity of The Man, but he has been on the circuit for a while, delivering posturing political comedy about the corrupt elite, warmongering governments and brainwashing media.

Now he has packaged his countercultural diatribes into something even more theatrical, using the striking black-and-yellow iconography of the classic comic book series The Watchmen. A sort of vigilante truth teller, his face is painted, he wears black PVC jacket and trousers, the smiley face motif of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novels not just his belt-buckle but also his marotte, or jesters’ stick.

The monologue is set in London’s Speakers’ Corner, the hallowed ground of free speech where he sits alongside preachers of a more religious persuasion to deliver his own secular, rebellious gospel. After all that, to say that the delivery is something of a theatrical masquerade is probably redundant.

His targets are the usual cabal of religion, big business, imperialistic governments, the selective mainstream media – and our apathy towards doing anything about them. That these are all long-term constants in evil means The Man is almost certain to tread over familiar ground.

Indeed he does, especially when discussing the war on terror (can you have a war on an emotion, the familiar refrain), Iraq’s non-existent WMDs (like Atomic Kitten, these were big in 2003) and the doublespeak of ‘smart’ bombs. Yet the military section makes no specific mention of Islamic State, making him seem strangely behind the curve.

Yet other big topics, from the Church to the new religion of Apple, from making video games out of the horrors of war to the City’s temples to wealth, are given new, twists, insightful and funny, and there are deliciously bleak lines peppered throughout his bitterly satirical rants.

Whatever the pros and cons of the writing, however, it is the high concept that’s the most intriguing part of the show. The bold persona – more dark soothsayer than traditional stand-up, keen to be the audience’s friend – allows him to package his material into a coherent world view, gives him licence for theatrics, and gives him a very strong brand… if that’s not too capitalist a concept.

Review date: 12 Aug 2015
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Assembly Rooms