Comedy Review: The Brandreth Papers @ Canal Cafe Theatre

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 159 months ago
Comedy Review: The Brandreth Papers @ Canal Cafe Theatre

Benet Brandreth has lived a remarkable life. From dashed hopes of Hollywood stardom to battles with fantastical creatures, our country owes him more than we will ever know. It is he who has saved the lives of countless members of the Royal Family, he who has nobly put personal safety aside while preserving national institutions, he who may be called away at any moment to offer urgent advice to Whitehall.

Brandreth's tongue-in-cheek delivery of his monologue had us prone to giggles right from the very start. His ringing, Roman-senatorial tones strike the perfect note of seriousness, then deliciously undercuts the erudition with some sharp self-deprecation or - and this had us reaching back to A Level copies of Alexander Pope, but it's the only way to describe it - bathos.

An offshoot from Kilburn comedy storytelling night Tall Tales, these shows are previews in the sense that the precise content may vary between outings, but unlike other comedy previews there's no throat-clearing, stumbling or referring to notes. Always entertaining and often rib-shakingly hilarious, we believe The Brandreth Papers may eventually be Edinburgh-bound and can only urge you to catch it now, without the need to negotiate the East Coast mainline.

The Brandreth Papers is at the Hen and Chickens on Thursday 16th December, 7.30pm, £6.50. Tall Tales is the last Thursday of every second month at the Good Ship in Kilburn.

Last Updated 13 December 2010