Russell Kane’s latest tour is called “The Fast and The Curious” and there probably couldn’t have been a better name for it given that, aside from the break, and for nearly two hours, the comedian was an explosion of energy pinballing around the stage at the York Barbican.
Prior to Kane hitting the stage, Stockport funnyman George Lewis had the task of warming the crowd up and did a more than admirable job. For twenty or so minutes he joked about his birthday, his manhood and his experiences at a massage parlour all of which built up to a glorious finale comprising a cringeworthy yet magnificent routine taken from his touring show “A Man, A Plan, A Girl With A Fake Tan”.
Before he is barely ten or so minutes into the show, Russell Kane has already burned off more calories than most of us do in a week at the gym. Probably Britain’s only “BiBrexual” comedian, Kane spends the first half of the show machine-gunning his way through impressions of Yorkshire culture while giving his opinions on the hot topic of the moment… Brexit. His interactions with the front rows toss up some brilliant comedy moments while, if you listen closely enough, there is more than a ripple of applause peppering the howls of laughter as Kane gives his opinions on Brexit.
The second half of the show, while none the less energetic for it, sees Kane take a more structured approach with a series of brilliant stories revolving around his family and his outspoken Mancunian wife. Exploring the mad world of relationships, Kane dissects his own in hysterical fashion covering topics like the effect of social media, the darker side of parenting, an eye-opening holiday to Spain and an ill-fated evening out to a local pasta restaurant. His rocky relationships with his much-missed father, his mum and her boyfriend all come under the microscope although it is his volatile relationship with his Mancunian wife Lindsey and his devil child daughter Minna that come under the most scrutiny.
Half the audience cringe while the other half wipe tears from their eyes as Kane recalls hiding behind Bonzai trees as his wife explodes at the slightest irritation while his daughter manages to heap further torment on the comedian with her ability to hold her breath until she passes out. Over the course of the show, Kane displays an unwavering love for his wife, family and friends as the show concludes with a brilliant tale about a drunken night at a charity event ending with his wife manhandling Prince Charles.
For almost two hours Kane split the crowd – half of the audience shared his pain while the other half cringed at his relationship revelations. However, one thing every single person had in common was that they left the York Barbican agreeing how they’d just spent their evening in the company of one of the funniest stand-ups in the UK.
