Mackenzie Taylor: No Straightjacket Required

The suffering induced by bipolar schizoaffective disorder and a resultant suicide attempt don't sound like the most promising subject matter for a stand-up gig. In fact, this is one of those performances whose sole purpose is not necessarily to make the audience laugh, but to take them on a gently amusing journey through difficult terrain, tempered by the odd well-timed one-liner. Mackenzie Taylor is an enormously likeable presence – all belly, beard and sardonically witty charm – and you feel utterly at ease in his hands. Which is just as well, as this show ventures into some tricky areas, including a lengthy and thoughtful analysis of which suicide method is best, and the "word-changing politics of the NHS."

There's little here that's laugh-out-loud hilarious; but if one function of a comedy gig is to allow a space for taboos to be openly discussed amongst strangers, this show certainly makes full use of it. It's a fascinating, at times troubling, story and much of the humour and the thrill of it comes from Taylor's refusal to euphamise or pull his punches. There are some lovely images, such as the theory that pills come in pop packets in order to cheer up potential self-harmers as they attempt to de-shell several hundred of them: it's just like popping bubble wrap. Doing this show might be an act of catharsis for Taylor, but it's also a worthwhile and diverting education for the rest of us.