Julian Clary; The Joy of Mincing

There was Kenneth Williams, then Larry Grayson and then… well then there was Julian Clary and the world of entertainment reeled at the brilliant and brave young man who took the lid of innuendo and let the fairy out of the bottle. Now at 56 Clary is as searingly frank as ever, perhaps more so. He’s filthy too, he warns us of that at the start of the show and he does not disappoint. In fact the material is a sharp and dangerous as ever and the audience love it. The only difference is that Clary is just that bit older, the delivery is not as fast and the flamboyant make-up and costumes do not sit as prettily on his heavier frame as they once did. Of course he is aware of this and refers to it in his usual self confidently deprecating way – and it works. The stories, shaggy-dog-like as they are, are peppered with wonderful imagery, his novelist skills coming to the fore – but it is the bitingly funny repartee that he fires at the audience when he interacts with them that really shines and makes you aware of this man’s real talent.
23 April
Brighton Dome
Andrew Kay
4 stars