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ED2017 4/5 Reviews ED2017 Comedy Reviews
Barry Crimmins: Atlas’s Knees (Barry Crimmins / Lakin McCarthy / The Stand Comedy Club)
By Bruce Blacklaw | Published on Sunday 20 August 2017
Barry Crimmins has been a leading light of the American satirical left for 40 years, so his invective on Trump et al is furiously funny and up-to-the-minute fresh. He can also draw from a formidable kitbag of anecdotes, including an awkward green room encounter with Henry Kissinger and the time he had to step in and interview Noam Chomsky for CNN. That long view lets him knock down any thought of nostalgia for Presidents past, whilst weaving in elements of his own harrowing personal experience to make a plea for kindness and decency. Admittedly I saw this early in the run, but it was far from tight, overrunning by 20 minutes due to occasional shortcomings of focus and pace. At its best, though, absolutely peerless.
The Stand Comedy Club, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]
