Simon Munnery – Hats Off To The 101ers and Other Material

Acclaimed stand-up Simon Munnery’s USP was always his oddball eclecticism and linguistic virtuosity, and his newest work exemplified this. “They say every show needs a structure,” he deadpanned, pointing at a home-made arch adorned with pictures of the R101 airship of the 1930s, the subject of the titular rock opera. This was the closest to linear the show got as seemingly anything was thrown out from the fertile Munnery mind. From surreal performance poetry to cardboard puppet renditions of the last moments of Christ’s fellow crucified, Hats Off… was occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, though unfortunately too often verged on indulgence, ultimately leaving a quietly amused audience slightly alienated.

The Old Market, 16 February 2012
Rating:
Nick Aldwinckle