Nominated for Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Jack Whitehall’s Nearly Rebellious debut solo show received rave reviews and completely sold out in August. Now visiting Brighton as part of the Magners Comedy Festival, Whitehall’s show didn’t have a single empty seat left in the Pavilion Theatre.
At just twenty-one years old, the chance to review Jack Whitehall also became the chance to compare my achievements – lowly student – against the comedian Time Out had called “sickeningly young wunderkind”. Reaching success in both stand-up and as presenter of Big Brother’s Big Mouth in the time I have spent completing 6 terms at Sussex. So what if he has been on 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week, TNT and Would I Lie to You?
I hoped, secretly, that his act would be immature jokes and toilet humour as some of my friends had warned. Instead, I was met with a cleverly structured and hilariously entertaining show. Particularly impressive were Jack’s minute long tirades that he belted out throughout the set, his lung capacity not to be underestimated. It was clear that Whitehall had youth on his side when throwing himself around stage, not something Michael McIntyre or Jimmy Carr have been caught doing lately. The Bacardi Breezer he replaced his pint with was Jack’s only giveaway of his boyish years.
Yes, some of his jokes referenced Facebook – which I fear was a little lost on the older generations – but this show’s comedic story of attempted rebellion was a familiar scenario all ages could appreciate. Even if your own dad isn’t a right-wing bigoted/Tory loving/outspoken/retired toff, and you’re not going through a lager lout/black rapper/Guardian reading liberal phase; this is ridiculously funny and well worth seeing.
Lindsay Smith
