Reasons for divorce

Edinburgh 2008

More Glenn Wool videos

Nominated for best headliner in the 2008 Chortle awards.

CV

Glenn Wool: Let Your Hands Go - Fringe 2009
Live Review

Here’a a man in complete command of the stage, and his material. Part playful, part polemic, Glenn Wool tackles the big issues with a preacher’s zeal but a gagster’s love of the punchline.

You might easily underestimate him from his appearance and demeanour of a Canadian wastrel with porn-star moustache and little interests beyond beer, Xbox and the fine work of AC/DC.

But he combines drop-out sensibilities with a strong intellect, compelling logic and mischievous fun. The sharp-suited bankers have had their day in the sun and failed catastrophically. It’s time, he argues, for people like him to have a shot at running the world.

Why not? He speaks a lot of sense on the failings of the entire capitalist system, not just laying it at the door a few greedy white-collar crooks, but without overt moralising or exuding an air of smug superiority. He’s just a regular Joe who idly ponders the existence of Smurfs – and if even he can figure out the big issues, so should we.

He takes on the big cornerstones of religion and racism, and the ridiculous idea of the right not to be offended: again packing a definite message, but not getting over-preachy. It’s just common-sense. On advertising, for instance, he doesn’t follow the Bill Hicks line that it’s inherently evil – but Iggy Pop flogging insurance, somehow that’s just not right. Many comics will have commented on that fall of an idol, but it’s fresh in Wool’s capable hands.

All this big-ticket stuff is rooted in the mundane by the through-line of the whole hour: the story of him waiting 45 minutes for a girl to come around after receiving the ‘booty call’ and imagining all manner of scenarios to explain the delay. That might not be not the most obvious hook for material about the global industrial complex, but it acts as a humanising balance to the political material, presented as digression.

He works the wooden Bosco tent like a charm, engaging the audience because he has something to say, and an easy confidence in saying it. He has conspiratorial attitude – as if we are all secretly being let in on the truth about the world – combined with an expressive face, conveying guilt, glee, bemusement or cheekiness in the subtlest of gestures.

With this being his seventh solo show, Wool has almost become part of the Edinburgh furniture, a familiarity which means he isn’t always counted among the hot talked-about acts. But he is an accomplished comic on scintillating form, delivering fresh laughs and thoughtful ideas – and you can’t want for much more than that.

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Saw Glenn live for the first time on Saturday, having been a big fan of his various Youtube clips. Absolutely did not disappoint, his material on failed Al Qaeda bombings in the UK and visiting Alcoholics Anonymous are quite simply some of the best routines you'll see on the current live circuit. Honest, incisive, witty, cutting and deeply intelligent, there is simply no excuse not to see this act.

Simon McEvoy, October 2008

***** If you don't leave his show with a smile on your face call the Samaritans immediately. So warm, so funny and one of my favourite acts.

Ben Mumford, August 2008

Glenn was in Worcester last night. Really poor turn out. Didn't matter one bit. He was hilarious. Seriously funny man. Genius.

Steve Strong, March 2008

I saw Glenn last week. I liked his moustache. Good. He is affable and compelling. But I didn't laugh all that much. Found all the AA stuff a bit old and droopy. Felt like a lot of laughs came from 'ey up, here's a fella after our own drinking 'earts lads'. I imagine it goes down well in Jongleurs. But I was hoping for something more original, particularly after the review here on Chortle. Maybe when I see him do a longer set I'll notice less the elbowing laddishness and I'll see more of the cutting scathing religious stuff...

Lisa Harris, February 2008

My oh my, this comedian sounds incredible. How can some one get their hands on one of his DVDs? Word on the street is that it can be ordered over the internet from his website.

glenn woolberg, January 2008

Saw Glenn at Sabotage last night, thought he was funnier than Stewart Lee, which is a pretty good accolade considering Lee's stand-up pedigree. It was his Edinbrough gig that he performed and his delivery was far from polished, but once he gets the routine down perfectly I am sure he will be a massive hit at the festival.

Chris Smith, July 2007

We saw Glenn headlining Old Rope while warming up for a gig in the US. Having seen quite a few comics in recent months Glenn stands out by a mile as the best. He did a 40 minute set which was fantastic from start to finish. Stylistically he's a like a laid back Bill Hicks, hilarious and with the capacity to surprise and appal in equal measures. He was In total control of his performance and his material. This guy looks like he's got the talent to become a huge comic. Catch him while you can.

Dan, May 2007

The best standup comedian ever, in my humble opinion.

Ash Penney, April 2007

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