Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin @ Pleasance Courtyard
The acerbic, articulate Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin makes his point well-known in his new Fringe show
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin has a sparkle in his eye that twinkles from the first joke to the last, imbuing even the darkest moments of the show with a levity and softness. And in this hour, that's essential.
The puckish charm that radiates off Tyzack-Carlin anchors much of the material, not because the penmanship isn’t remarkable – as many of his lyrical assassinations are so wonderfully crafted – but because a poem called ‘Rylan Clarke is a Stupid Cunt’ might not be quite as successful were it not drowning in playful pizzazz. In moments like this, the wayward naughtiness is what keeps the show buoyant, as his impish smile (just about) offsets any genuine malice.
We do get close to seeing real venom spat out by the comic on a few occasions, with a couple of celebrities falling under the firing line, but these are peppered amongst routines about his dad being a dog, Salford and wider politics. It’s a show with something big to say, and very few comics on the circuit are more acerbic, articulate and concise in how they say it than Tyzack-Carlin. There’s also a childlike wonder to the hour, with beautiful flights of fancy sailing away into the clouds which only add to the crushing impact of the dead-eyed descriptions of the world's current climate. It’s as real as it is imaginary, in equal measure.
Opening with a series of quick-fire poems before embarking on our longform prose, the impeccable pacing of the hour is a triumph. The mounting anger of the show is earned, building up at an accelerating rate, but never without Tyzack-Carlin being fully in control. By the end, that initial twinkle of the eye is the only light shining, as a cruel dystopian world is laid bare in front of you, with our comic looking all but defeated.
This is how a great show is written. Nobody leaves the room in doubt of what Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin is telling them. The point is made, but never at the expense of an expertly funny night.
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin: Good News! It's Been Destroyed, Pleasance Courtyard (Below), until 29 Aug, 11pm, £13-£15