Josie Long: The Future Is Another Place

Comedy is all about timing, and the timing of Josie Long's new show couldn't be any better. With the London riots still smouldering, Long delivers a set about activism, social justice and collective responsibility. It's honest, intelligent, funny, and it's exactly what Britain needs right now.

Her trademark whimsy is the soft centre of this show, and it keeps the audience laughing, but it's the crunchy shell of left-wing politics that really impresses. A near-fatal car crash made Long realise that it wasn't enough to whine about the Tories, people have to get up and challenge them. She talks at length about her recent life as an activist, the highs of joining in UK Uncut demonstrations, the lows of seeing nothing change. She considered giving up, before getting a blast of encouragement from an unexpected source. We're encouraged not to give up either.

It's delivered with terrific wit and an unstoppable optimism that makes a change from the cynicism of other political comedians. Long, who is far more intelligent than she thinks, geuninely has something original to say.

Cometh the hour, cometh the comedian. Long has tapped into something we didn't know existed until London started burning. Her timing is spot-on and now Josie Long is poised to become the most important voice in British comedy.