David Sedaris

Few writers could command such a huge audience and fill Brighton’s Dome concert Hall, and having done so keep them rapt for over 90 minutes by simply reading – but Sedaris can. His opening salvo, a story that starts with an elderly man soiling himself on a plane, continues with a candid tale of surviving a long bout of diarrhea whilst on tour has the audience rocking with unashamed laughter. Tell a friend that you have diarrhea and it’s a conversation killer but from the mouth of Sedaris it’s comedy gold. But comedy is only a part of the rich recipe of delight to come from the mind of this man. This is attentive social commentary, personal revelation, even philosophy – all delivered with the meticulous detail of a hyper-realist. Sedaris is vile, acid tongued, bitter, critical, gloom laden and at times pessimistic – and all this he delivers as if he is frosting cup cakes, his humour, harsh as it can be, is so daintily delivered that you cannot help but fall for his pixieish charm. There’s sadness too, the tale of his mother’s alcoholism is both witty and moving, loaded with regret and sadness. Sedaris never pulls a punch, each barbed line aimed straight at the jugular, whether the target is the world at large or himself, and it’s this balance of self deprecation and despair at the state of the modern world that makes him uniquely entertaining and, dare I say it, loveable, but I dare, I would happily give myself over to his company and bask then wallow in his delightful and disgusting monologues, even if some of it hits far too close to home. Sedaris is the complete package, entertaining, provocative and even more fascinating live than he is on the page and in his audio offerings, my face ached from smiling!

Dome Concert Hall, Brighton

12 September

Andrew Kay

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