Will Marsh: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Just The Tonic at The Caves

This is a debut show that very much feels like a debut show – with some brilliant lines, presumably from Will Marsh’s usual circuit set, coupled loosely with some baggier material that doesn’t seem fully formed.

He starts strong, setting out his intentions to describe what annoys him about Britain, then provide some solutions – an idea vague enough to encompass all manner of thoughts, yet still remain true to his manifesto. The early gag about the eco-claims of toilet-paper manufacturers hits the nail square on the head – while he employs similarly imaginative wit to suggests alternative to speed cameras.

Yet much of his gripes are familiar ones, and his answers have been suggested before, sometimes seriously and sometimes by other comics: We should legalise and tax both prostitution and drugs; put warning labels on booze akin to those on cigarettes but stressing the regrettable things you might do under the influence; change the system that means fatties get the same airline baggage allowance as regular people; and  employ a pub-bouncer style ‘one in, one out’ immigration policy.

His biggest bugbear is the no-win, no-fee lawyers who encourage a culture of entitlement, blame and needless health and safety rules – and you won’t hear many people protesting that. He’s not really offering new insight or throwing up innovative policies, just reasserting bar-room politics with the occasional great joke to remind us that he can be capable of more.

Of course he jokes about his looks – bit ‘paedoy’, obviously – and his voice – Brummie, though he’s embarrassed to admit it. It’s also rather a monotonous one, making some of this material something of a slog, even if he has an engaging manner about him.

Nor should we underestimate the sharpness of the best 15 minutes or so here, The first hour is a rite of passage that Marsh has completed. Now let’s see what sort of a comedian he really develops into.