Rhod Gilbert: The Book of John, Pleasance at EICC, Edinburgh * * * *
His mother died from Alzheimer’s; his father had a heart attack and went blind; he endured a mini-stroke; his wife has the womb condition endometriosis, and they’ve struggled to conceive a child.
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Hide AdAdded to this dreadful set of personal circumstances, Gilbert also acquired John, a driver to ferry him around as he recovered from his stroke. At loggerheads from the start, the Welsh comic credits the chauffeur as the muse who inspired him back to stand-up, so perverse and wrong-headed are his opinions. Confounding the incredulous comic on everything from the provenance of frozen prawns to the fertility risks of smoking, the pair’s crossed wires reaches its apotheosis in their mutual respect for George Michael, the late singer’s back catalogue affording Gilbert the opportunity for a tour de force series of contrived lyrical gags.
Ultimately, Gilbert eventually finds common ground with John, appreciating that that which unites us is stronger than that which divides, even as his epiphany immediately backfires. Good to have him back.
Until 25 August
Jay Richardson