The show starts in darkness, with a beautiful rendition of the space odyssey theme song, a torch and Josie’s wildest extinct mammal drawings. After a concussion in January that put Josie in the hospital, she’s come out the other side with a much different take on the world, one that she is ready to share.
“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters”. This quote by Antonio Gramsci is the premise behind Josie Long’s stand-up show, which, whilst funny, holds a deeper meaning behind it than just the monsters of the past.
Between comical stories of her kids, hamsters, pigeons or anything else in a super high-pitched voice, Josie voices her opinions on Palestine, climate change, the UK government, her political stance and more. While I agree with practically everything she said, and in the powerful way she expresses it, there probably should be an indication of these themes in the description of her show.
Josie mixes up political takes and random facts with reflections on her own wacky behaviour, but her intelligence oozes out in a profound way.
Josie finishes the show with ultraviolet diagrams around the walls illustrating what the world could be like if we weren’t so impatient to advance and evolve. Stars shine bright behind her cave-like paintings.
I felt somewhat distraught about my future as I left the show. The various topics discussed were done so in a funny way, yet I still felt uneasy about some of the very true facts that were coming for our future. Josie’s ability to blend laughter with poignant storytelling was compelling and encouraged reflection. A reminder that change is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Josie Long: Now is the Time of Monsters 19.00, Pleasance Dome, until August 24
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/josie-long-now-is-the-time-of-monsters
