Will Seaward @ Gilded Balloon

The comparison of Will Seaward to Brian Blessed is nothing new, however in this year’s show it is especially apt as he takes on the role of a real life bombastic supervillain, taking the audience on a journey through his most devilish world dominating schemes.

He is the curator of the fantastically silly, prompting the audience to help create spontaneous sparks of comedic brilliance. It makes for fleeting, evanescent moments of comedy; a highlight today is the audience gleefully watching on as Seaward and cohort Abi fail to open a rather expensive bottle of whisky for a certain super spy to enjoy.  This accidental act of lacklustre super-villainy is one of those strange and magical accidents that make the show so exciting to behold.

However, it is put best by Seaward himself: “Is there a philosophical point in this thing of nonsense?”  Well, probably not. But the silly, surreal nonsense-making acts as a fantastic framework for Seaward's comic ingenuity and to enact his more ludicrous ideas.