Andrew Maxwell’s latest show is, to be expected, full of social commentary and political and global issues. Of course, he began with the traditional ‘where are you from?’ chat and I was impressed to find that this led him on very smoothly to the rest of his material. There is never an awkward change of subject. The entire show just feels like an interesting, relaxed, banter-filled, funny conversation. Maxwell definitely possesses a gift for making his stand-up look completely unrehearsed and effortless.
For all his astute and politicised comments, it was actually far more enjoyable to hear Maxwell talk about his experiences as a father, since of course this was the thing closest to his heart. It was surprisingly touching to hear his frustrated rants about the behaviour of his kids followed by elated cries of ‘but I wouldn’t change it for the fucking world!’. Wonderful.
For me, Maxwell passed the ultimate comedians’ test with flying colours: dealing with a racist heckler. Of course he was marvellous throughout but the moments spent dealing with this audience member really were uniting ones for the rest of the audience. Unfortunately, the presence of this audience member left a sour taste in the air that was difficult to shake off. I will not, however, let this cloud my judgment: it was a very good show.
If you’re looking for some traditional stand-up for the evening, Maxwell’s your man. If you’re looking for something a bit more new and different, he’s probably not. All round however, Maxwell was funny, enjoyable and a true professional.
