Mat Ewins @ Just the Tonic, The Caves
Strap yourselves in, Mat Ewins has a presentation clicker in hand and who knows what is about to appear on the screen behind him
Actually, Can I Have Eight Tickets Please? is video sketch heaven, coming at you like a pack of rabid junkies, with just enough setup to rattle off as many ridiculous bits as possible. So much happens in the space of an hour; all of it madness and some of it pure genius. And for all Ewins virgins, the sheer formal uniqueness of the show makes for comedic ecstasy worth gurning for.
Roughly in the guise of a seminar delivered by Ewins on how he has become so rich, Actually, Can I... covers topics with such tenuousness to allow Ewins (and the audience) to take a deep dive into his bizarre mind. There’s a smorgasbord of supporting content flying from the screen as he makes his pitch, and the interactive elements aren’t just a bit of fun, instead whipping the room into fits of hysteria. There are also some obscene sections that in lesser hands wouldn’t fly, but with Ewins’ style and capability they only add to the layers of breathless absurdity that build throughout.
There’s nothing else like a Mat Ewins show. It goes far beyond the places that your typical stand up hour simply can’t. Just don’t go on a first date, or with your mum.
Mat Ewins: Actually Can I Have Eight Tickets Please?, Just the Tonic at The Caves (Just the Big Room), until 25 Aug, 9pm, £8-£9/PWYW