Andy Parsons, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre - review

Rising to fame as a regular guest on BBC’s Mock The Week, Parsons is known for his satirical and political style of comedy through airing his frustration's at the modern world.

And his two hour show was a showcase of this at its finest taking jabs at Theresa May, Brexit, Boris Johnson and the state of the NHS whilst also giving an insight into his personal life.

In the live environment, Parsons is a much calmer and warm character than that portrayed through TV appearances, telling tales of his university career studying at Cambridge and the struggles of trying to get his child to school on time.

It’s in the moments that seem most off the cuff that Parsons proves his most engaging, with some of the more political based material already feeling dated, however you would imagine and hope that the current political climate gives Parsons the room to alter and adapt his material.

The show proved interesting as well as humorous, feeling more like a talk at some points; however this allowed Parsons to build a narrative throughout to make the punch lines much more effective. This does also however prove a detriment at some points, with the rhythm and pace of the material meaning that some sections are much less engaging than others.

That being said, Parsons has built a very clever, caring and warm show that certainly allowed the audience within the Stafford Gatehouse to leave the theatre being able to look at the state of the world with a touch of humour.