Anyone who thinks stand-up comedy is dumbing down should go and see Josie Long. Where rivals might frontload acts with innuendo, Long is more ambitious, drip-feeding cheeky one-liners about philosopher John Locke and wondering what Guardian wall charts would look like if they were designed by 15th century visionary Heironymous Bosch.
The effervescent 26-year-old has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Grinning like a toddler running through the British Museum on too many E numbers, she rattles through more ideas in an hour than many comedians get through in a career. She does not need drugs, she is simply intoxicated by looking at the stars.
All Of The Planet’s Wonders (Shown In Detail) might not feature endless conventional jokes, but there are plenty of beautifully observed vignettes about her family, the naming of apples, or the time she was bemused by the sight of some Morrisons bottled water on a shelf in Lidl. Everything is an adventure for Long, even watching regional TV news in Leicester.
If there is a flaw, it is that she sometimes lacks focus, shooting off at tangents. Yet Long is so big-hearted these digressions hardly matter as she builds towards a sentimental climax suggesting that we should treasure moments of bliss. Not a belly laugh gig, but a deeply thoughtful set that deserves its huge round of applause.
Also Soho Theatre, 11-15 Nov (020 7478 0100, www.sohotheatre.com).
Josie Long & Friends
Bloomsbury Theatre
15 Gordon Street, LONDON, WC1H 0AH
