Steve Day: Run, deaf Boy, Run

Article by Lizzie Cass-Maran | 15 Aug 2011

Telling the story of a personal feat is a tough call in comedy. Many shows either use it as only as a loose basis around which to hang material, or get so distracted by the reality of the story that, whilst interesting, it ceases to really qualify as comedy.

Steve Day’s tale of his quest to run the London Marathon victoriously manages both. He never distracts from the narrative of the story, drawing in the audience with his tale of endurance - such that I am more than once moved to tears - but at the same time keeps the laughter constant and free-flowing, and never an awkward addition.

Day is a deaf comedian (small d, that’s not an error in the title) and talks about this as any comic might talk about the issues in their life but avoids mining the subject to beyond its comic parameters (beyond a couple of lines at the beginning which are obviously old favourites he’d do well to retire).

Interesting, inspiring and very funny.

Steve Day: Run, deaf Boy, Run, Stand II, 5-28 August (not 15), £8(£7)

http://www.thestand.co.uk