Simon Munnery @ The Stand
Simon Munnery celebrates three decades at the Fringe with another fine hour of stand-up
This is Simon Munnery’s 30th year at the Fringe and as such, he’s predictably unpredictable. A case in point – he returns in 2016 with a more conventional stand-up show after a number of more experimental Munnery-esque ventures into form, film and, erm, philosophy. Bumbling on to the stage and subsequently destroying what passes for a complicated set depicting a Brexit metaphor of sorts (we never find out), Munnery is, well, Munnery. Decked out in a coat made of cider cans and Golden Virginia packets we get songs, poems, a sprinkle of politics, delivered with his patented shabbiness and the mischievous twinkle his audience have come to love.
He’s happy to chat to the audience in between jokes a bit more these days, but the material is as interesting as ever (there’s a tremendous agricultural history lesson in here) and Munnery still writes the best one-liners in the business. And while you could never accuse him of resting on his laurels, this year’s hour definitely feels like he’s eased it down a touch – far from 'standing still', but certainly taking stock.
Simon Munnery: Standing Still, The Stand Comedy Club, 4-29 Aug (not 15), 4pm, £9-12