Vittorio Angelone @ Assembly Hall
you can't Say Nothing any more is a firecracker of an hour from Vittorio Angelone
It seems like half the comedians these days spend their sets bemoaning the fact that “you can’t say anything”, utterly blind to the irony of such a statement (especially when they’re saying it on their latest cushy Netflix special). Vittorio Angelone may not have gotten a Netflix special just yet, but he’s quickly become a prominent face in the UK comedy scene with his army of social media followers and a notoriously provocative sense of humour. You can’t Say Nothing any more is a particularly clever, biting hour from Angelone which turns the idea of censorship on its head.
Angelone’s confidence as a performer is absolutely magnetic, and he’s got it in spades. It’s all the more remarkable given his discussions of his diagnosis of anxiety disorder as a child, "before it was cool". Comedy seems to be a way for Angelone to process his anxieties and, in turn, soothe his audience. He deftly navigates each and every eyebrow-raising topic, from a poorly-considered gig he took in Dubai to the 1975 bombing of his grandparents’ ice cream parlour by the UVF.
Speaking of, there is certainly no shortage of IRA jokes in Angelone’s set. As someone raised in a post-conflict Belfast, he feels a pressure to be politically aware in order to seen as a legitimate Irish artist (it doesn’t help that when he’s not watching documentaries about The Troubles, he’s repeately being asked to narrate them). What is touching, though, are the thoughtful links which he makes between The Troubles and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. By being so politically conscious in his comedy, Angelone allows the audience to lean into his most tricksy moments, knowing he still has their trust.
Indeed, Vittorio Angelone is, at his core, a thoughtful comedian. In spite of his roguish subject matter, he is not here for shock value. Angelone sees comedy as an art, one which he is determined to excel in. His passion shines through constantly, and that makes him an absolutely charming performer to watch.
Vittorio Angelone: you can't Say Nothing any more, touring the UK and Ireland in September and October, including King's Theatre, Glasgow, 24 Sep
vittorioangelone.com