Review by Marina Funcasta
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Witnessing the success of Adam Kay, the emergence of Dr Benji Waterhouse comes at no surprise. Breaking through the taboo of combining humour and the unknown sides of mental health, as Waterhouse himself acknowledges at the beginning of his show, humour becomes a very useful Trojan Horse through which we can come to understand our fears. A brave and careful performer, Waterhouse’s comedy show is an important watch. Whether it’s as funny as one may expect, however, is harder to say.
Waterhouse is very charming, that’s beyond discussion. High-fiving his audience members, it is obvious to all that he exudes the patience, trustworthy demeanour of an overworked NHS doctor. His soft-spoken, gentle approach to humour, however, does not always secure a laugh. Relying on google reviews of hospital waiting times, crazy stories from his patients, or his own errors while a junior doctor, I cant help but wonder why Waterhouse stepped out of the realm of writing. His books are clearly hilarious, but his performance is less so.
This being said, with a few pints in you, this late afternoon comedy show has a very wide entertainment value. Whether you would gather a similar inward chuckle from just reading the book, is perhaps a tenner better spent.
Very Charming
Benji Waterhouse: Second Opinion (WIP) runs at Just the Tonic at the Caves
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Review by Marina Funcasta (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina’s interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
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