Foul-mouthed enfant terrible

Jerry Sadowitz plays with old-school magic rather than tricksy linguistics.
Sharon Lougher|Metro10 April 2012

This week, performing at the Soho Theatre immediately before Jerry Sadowitz, is Demetri Martin, the young, foppish New Yorker who bagged a Perrier at his first attempt for his show based on palindromes. The contrast between them couldn't be greater.

Sadowitz, comedy's foul-mouthed enfant terrible, who once opened a set at Soho haunt Madame JoJo's by pronouncing that 'all gays must die', would be the first to admit he's never going to win prizes or earn mainstream money.

He swears a lot, he plays with old-school magic rather than tricksy linguistics and, on this evidence at least, his patter isn't even that topical.

So why does he remain a perennial must-see? Because he's a stand-up who thinks of comedy as the last bastion of free speech. So the fact that Sadowitz can reduce intelligent people to stitches with racist, xenophobic, sexist and homophobic comments says more about an audience than it does about him.

Of course there are close-up tricks here too, of a standard befitting a man whose spent 30 years honing his skills in front of a mirror. Despite this, Sadowitz has a habit of getting rather antsy before he embarks on a new show, only improving as the run progresses. Based on an early viewing, the future of this show looks very promising indeed.

Until Jan 7, Soho Theatre And Writers Centre, 21 Dean Street W1, Thu to Sat 11pm, (Jan 2 to 7, daily 9.30pm), £15 to £17.50, £12.50 to £15 concs. Tel: 0870 429 6883. www.sohotheatre.com Tube: Tottenham Court Road/Piccadilly Circus

Jerry Sadowitz: Work In Progress

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