Comedy preview: Simon Munnery, on tour

100 Club, W1/Ku Bar, WC2, Sat; Cafe Bar, Norwich Arts Centre, Tue; Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, W10, Wed; The Black Sheep, SE19, Fri

Always happy to subvert audience expectations of stand-up comedy in the politest of ways, for Simon Munnery, performing isn't about hitting all the right notes in a honed and polished 20-minute set, but an opportunity to invite the audience in for a comfortable ramble around his rather peculiar mind. His stand-up appearances are unpredictable (if reliably funny) collections of odds and sods - you might be treated to a tirade from perhaps his most famous creation, the protester-without-a-cause Alan Parker, or get some more personal stories about Munnery's childhood. The unifying factor is Munnery's distinctive comic voice, that of the alienated prodigy who sees everything at a cold and unfamiliar angle. This is perhaps shown to best effect in his enormous array of scientifically precise, deliciously quotable short gags. My favourite? "All artists are willing to suffer for their art. So few are willing to learn to draw."

• 100 Club, W1/Ku Bar, WC2, Sat; Cafe Bar, Norwich Arts Centre, Tue; Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, W10, Wed; The Black Sheep, SE19, Fri

Contributor

James Kettle

The GuardianTramp

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