Alfie Brown: The Love You Take

Walking out onto the stage, Alfie Brown bears all the typical hallmarks of a modern poet comedian; skinny jeans, quirky blazer, bejewelled hands, and wild hair. And once he begins his set, we discover that he has the silver tongue to match.

Launching into an elegant verse beginning at the beginning – before the big bang – and winding throughout all of the history of evolution, Brown’s quick one-liners keep what might become far too heavy fresh and animated.

Though he does go for a couple of fairly cheap gags early on, he gets better as he goes along. Elements of the puerile and the sublime, the silly and the smart, are all delivered in his symphonic style. Taking morality as his focus, he discusses such things as binge drinking and what is appropriate for children to see and hear, and illustrates his points brilliantly and hilariously.

Brown builds a whirlwind with his words, lifting you up and throwing an often slightly twisted joke your way. Though his word-heavy, poetic style is not to everyone’s taste, he is able to relate to the audience on a very down-to-earth level. Smart and funny, he is one to watch.