ESSEX comedian Russell Kane brought his quirks and boundless energy to Salford’s Lowry Theatre last night (May 28). Quays News entertainment reporter Nathan Salt was there to run the rule over him…
Kane is, in his own words, one of comedy’s biggest over-sharers. Telling stories like they are going out of fashion, Kane opts to split his show into two parts for his current tour ‘Right Man, Wrong Age’.
For what was a sell out show there were a number of empty seats when the show began.
“I bet people who hate me bought these four on the front row just to see me look at empty seats!” he joked.
Camp – but straight – comedians are notoriously hard to come by in the comedy sphere but Kane is one of the best at the role. Horror stories of his manly father catching him fake tanning at the bottom of the garden saw him named ‘GayTan’ for the years that followed.
His dad has always been a key figure in Kane’s material on stage but with him no longer around having passed away, the Enfield-born comic was keen to tell the stories that will be forever etched on his brain.
Wow. Thank you Manchestorrrrr
— Russell Kane (@russell_kane) May 28, 2016
It is difficult to imagine how Kane survived inside a male-dominated home environment when he screams glitter and musicals. More Chelsea flower show than Chelsea Football Club, basically.
As the jokes about the Mancunian accent continued to flow throughout the set’s opening, he then went on to explain what the epicentre of this tour was and ultimately prepare the crowd for what was to dominate the second half.
The right age for you is the age you aren’t,” he stated.
He pinpointed one 19-year-old audience member as a key example of what he meant. The idea that students and young people never get hangovers, have no stresses and have their whole life ahead of them are what Kane describes as nothing more than “myths”.
“I’ve had half a chandy and I think I need to sleep in until Wednesday,” he described as the more probable scenario.
The Russell Kane of years gone by has appeared on stage much more casual – both in dress and behaviour. Yet, his newfound change he put down to his spouse Lindsey Cole, who was in the audience with members of her family.
Suited up and essentially more grown up (well, as grown up as Kane can get) his almost bipolar performance demonstrated that he is right at the top of his game.
Phenomenal stand up from @russell_kane at @The_Lowry tonight – best performance I've seen in years
— Paul Hine (@PaulHine) May 28, 2016
Discussing his epiphany moment to grow up in the mirror whilst blurting out random song titles by Michael Jackson – ‘Man in the Mirror’ and ‘Bad’ both featured – Kane discussed how his Ibiza and Ayia Napa days were, sadly, over now he and Lindsey have a child together.
The second half lasts a total of 110 minutes and surrounds Kane’s road to fatherhood. An adult show for an adult audience with plenty of expletives being thrown around as his show is captivatingly visual; how anyone can describe a show like this with the written word is nigh on impossible.
He began a bidding war for who had left the youngest child at home to attend the performance and discussed how difficult trying for a baby is with some couples waiting years to conceive.
“Lindsey got pregnant in the first month,” he moaned. “Nobody actually wants to get pregnant in the first month it’s just the practice phase!”
As well as blessing everyone in the audience with a visual image of him walking round Romford hospital topless in order to help his daughter get instant skin-to-skin contact, he also imitated his Mancunian in-laws.
A row of women began shrieking at each impression and it soon became clear that these women were the in-laws he was imitating as they watched their personalities come to life through Russell.
Yvonne, Lindsey’s mum, came across as a spiritual being whereas her sister, Aunty Christine, made a shrieking noise every time she moved according to the stand-up.
A comedian that had many people laughing until it physically hurt deserves special commendation. A performance that had captivating paralinguistics, hilarious anecdotes and put-downs for drunken hecklers, Russell Kane is not on the peripheries of the comedic elite, he’s right amongst it…
By Nathan Salt
@NathSalt1
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