Recommended to me by a friend, I tootled along to the Big Yurt to see how you can possibly make a comedy show out of a Renaissance polymath called Nicolaus Copernicus and his work. Well, if your name if Michael Brunstrom you can! Drawing his material from the mathematician/astronomer that was under his microscope, his show is both clever and ridiculous.
We are briefed about his process, which lures the audience in his balmy scheme, but he is so endearing, that you want to come along for the journey. His material is refreshing, no mother-in-law jokes here, but the fact that he chooses to use such a high-brow intellectual as the subject of his humour, makes this show so interesting.
Brunstrom has a natural delivery, a self-deprecating humour which you cannot help but like. He encourages the audience to get involved (don’t worry, nothing too challenging), a wee bit of dancing, which is a relief considering the benches in the yurt do numb the bottom, and arm waving (can you tell that I am desperately trying not to give away any of Brunstrom’s material).
It almost feels like you come away knowing more about the Ptolemaic system and all things astronomy without even realising it, but with the funniest teacher that I ever had at school.
Brunstrom’s talent is to trick us into thinking that he is not too bright, when his material tells us that he is indeed a very clever chappy, who deserves to be in a far larger forum that the sweaty yurt.
This should be on your list of comedy shows this year as you will see nothing else that is so clever and funny, comedy is so difficult in today’s times of heightened sensitivity, and Brunstrom has found a way to side step this.
To book to see Michael Brunstrom go to – https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/michael-brunstrom-copernicus-now, but be quick, as he is only here until the 11th August 2024.
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick
Reviewed: 5th August 2024
North West End UK Rating: