Simon Munnery @ The Stand
Even a half cocked Munnery is better than most
The beauty of a Simon Munnery show is even the flimsiest of conceits can render great comedic dividends. In this late afternoon outing he shows up with ideas half formed and leads a low budget TED talk on his quest to make a centrally heated tent, followed by an attempt to make something better than a saucepan. These are lofty and eccentric goals and when Munnery is trying to make sense of his own mind it’s a joy to behold, but with this new show he seems to be operating on auto-pilot at times. Cobbled together material from a speech he gave at a wedding and his daughter’s rather convincing begging letter for an iPhone 6 make up large parts of the hour.
In lesser hands this would be a disappointment, but then if you’re going to see Munnery you realise these are the breaks. In the last few months these are the things he’s been thinking about, and he’s been thinking about them harder than most, like the crisp packet he’s found in his hotel room that he spends a good five minutes dissecting. Munnery is a unique comedian but it does feel like this was a show knocked up with spare bits and pieces he had lying around his mind.
Simon Munnery: Renegade Plumber, The Stand Comedy Club, until 28 Aug (not 14), 3.20pm, £10-12