Joe Wells is Autistic. About two years ago, he had a video about Autism go viral online and was unwittingly thrust into the role of Autism Spokesperson. This show is part of his effort to fulfil this job by talking about his experiences as an Autistic person.
Whether covering directly Autism-related material, such as the Spectrum 10K debacle, or more standard fare, such as conspiracy theories and Vladimir Putin, Wells is clearly a masterful comic. As well as being just very funny, he has a great stage presence and is incredibly engaging, despite never relying on direct audience engagement, going as far as to have a notice at the beginning saying this won’t be happening.
A further indicator of Wells’ mastery of comedy is the balance he’s able to strike between getting the laughs and providing genuinely informative and deep insights into what it’s like to be Autistic. His sense of humour means he never comes across as preachy or, God forbid, like he’s delivering an Autism awareness workshop, but he also doesn’t shy away from the nitty-gritty and nuances of being Autistic, from T-shirt necklines to the ‘person with Autism’ debate.
At this point, I feel I should declare my bias when it comes to reviewing this show. As an Autistic person, I am very used to presentations of my disability being an awful amalgamation of inaccurate and offensive. It is for this reason that being able to watch a comedy show by an actually Autistic person that accurately presents what it’s like to be Autistic is so refreshing. This is the type of thing I want non-Autistic people to be watching to find out about me and my disability. It’s accurate, irreverent, and just downright enjoyable.
Although it is definitely very suitable for the non-Autistic, I feel I must also add that this is a perfect show to go and see if you are Autistic. We’re so used to being 3 seconds behind non-Autistic people when it comes to understanding a joke, but with this show, I always felt like I was ahead. Wells has managed to create a space for Autistic people to be able to laugh about our idiosyncrasies in a way always makes us feel like we’re in on the joke.
In summary, if you’re Autistic, I would highly recommend that you go and see this show – you’re going to love it. If you’re not Autistic, I need you to go and see this show – you’re also going to love it.
Playing until 28 August, tickets can be found HERE.
Reviewer: Ella Catherall
Reviewed: 7th August 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★