Not long ago Russell Brand was a cocaine and heroin junkie and his presenting/acting career ran the risk of drifting down the proverbial toilet.
Then he went into rehab and last year performed a stonker of an Edinburgh debut, a series of confessionals about his drug-addled exploits. Brand's stand-up career could have fizzled out straight afterwards, especially as TV beckoned again, but this second show is overflowing with great new material.
Despite forays into fame, yobs and a crowd-pleasing send-up of The Sun's letters page, the best gags are the ones where sex looms large. His invitation to an orgy in Tower Hamlets is a beautifully described hell ('it was like an orgy directed by Mike Leigh'). And Brand proves his intelligence by having the wit to parody it.
Brand is a product of stage school training, which makes him a charismatic and eccentric performer, deft at telling stories with theatrical flair. Here's praying that he never finds TV a better alternative to stand-up.
Until Sat, Soho Theatre and Writers Centre, 21 Dean Street W1, 9.30pm, £15 adv, £12.50 concs, £17.50 door, £15 concs. Tel: 0870 429 6883. www.sohotheatre.com Tube: Tottenham Court Road/Piccadilly Circus
