Satirically challenging, is one way to consider 2018. Everything’s both too stupid and too rapidly evolving for structural rigour or nuance. Comedic firefighting. The joke written yesterday has already had its day. Time, then, for one of the masters. And, it’s interesting. I mean, it’s a great, funny show: “Writing, delivery and cricket bantz are all totally on point. Go see him” – that’s the review. But, when the normally super-glib Zaltzman looks up from his exceptional craft to say ‘that’s the bleakest joke I’ve ever written’, and wonders aloud whether he can do it when his daughter comes to see him perform: I know there are more obvious indicators of the state of the world, I know, but still… fuck.

The Stand, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]