Simon Amstell: What is This?

It would be wrong not to mention Mawaan Rizwan, the support act, before moving on to Amstell. Rizwan exploded onto the stage and delivered 30 minutes of joyously silly yet disarmingly honest and often poignant humour to a an audience who he rapidly seduced with his engaging performance, certainly a voice to look out for.

After a short break Amstell walked slowly onto the stage and began to deliver his show, a frank, moving and fearlessly honest exploration of his life and his sexuality. Bravely facing his own demons through stories of coming out, first sexual encounters and dealing with family and friends, he revealed all, well one has to hope all, as it was pretty explicit – delightfully and refreshingly so. Amstell is searingly forthright, never skimping on the details in his tales, sparing no one and particularly not sparing himself. He seems un-phased by sharing his life and his likes, he makes no excuses for his behaviour and amazingly through this he manages to make the evening very funny, very funny indeed. Any hint of self deprecation is batted out of court because what he is trying to say is that honesty has become his way forward.

I laughed a lot, he is genuinely funny, but I came away filled with  admiration for a man who can stand up and, using humour, make such an important statement.

Dome Concert Hall

19 November

Andrew Kay

Rating: