IF you want to know what it would be like to hear Sir David Attenborough commentating on Arsenal fans visiting Wolverhampton in the late 70s in the style of one of his celebrated nature documentaries, you need to head along to Ian Stone.
In fact, you should just head along anyway.
I hadn’t heard of “Stoney” as he calls himself before seeing him last year but he’s now one of my Fringe favourites.
He won the Spirit Of The Fringe last year for a simply hilarious hour, and for my money – and this is a pay-what-you-like Free Fringe show – this year’s hour is just as good.
Stoney is described as a master of self-deprecating Jewish humour but he’s much more than that and is simply one of the sharpest and funniest stand-ups on the circuit today.
And he brings both of those angles together at one point when a bit of audience interaction threatens to backfire. Asking what various members of the near-capacity crowd last protested about, there’s an audible gasp when one young fella says “Palestine”.
But Ian simply shrugs and grins, “Fair enough!”
I don’t know if it’s just the comics I’ve opted to see this year but a fair few are bemoaning getting older and directing some good-natured vitriol at those who haven’t orbited the suns quite so many times.
Stoney berates one 18-year-old chap, grousing, “You, with your firm skin and your hair – you can run up the stairs and have sex four times a night rather than it being one or the other.”
Four? Blimey.
I’m not here to reveal his best gags, and you really need to hear about his dad Ken’s attitude to work and Stoney’s racist fishmonger, but one line that rang a huge bell with me was, “We didn’t have FOMO cos fuck all was happening!”
Stoney makes comedy look effortless, so make the effort to see him.
Ian Stone Is Keeping It Together, 16.00, Laughing Horse at the Counting House, until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ian-stone-is-keeping-it-together
