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	Assembly Hall (venue website) Comedy 2-12, 14-25 Aug, 9:10pm-10:10pm Reviewed by Lynsey Martenstyn
Recommended for age 14+ only.  Free and unticketed. No pre-booking required.

BBC Radio 4 and panel show favourite Marcus Brigstocke is back, and he’s disillusioned. In The Brig Society, Brigstocke highlights what he perceives as the inefficiencies of David Cameron’s Big Society, through audience participation and the host's clever analogies. Existing admirers of the left-leaning, witty comedian won’t be disappointed, and the performance could garner further fans to join his legions.

‘Hello, Sir!’ Brigstocke strides up to a stern audience member. ‘Can you tell us a joke?’ Stern audience member stares at a smiling Brigstocke, and takes up the challenge.

‘Yeah’, he gruffly responds. ‘Knock, knock.’

‘Who’s there?’ Brigstocke responds, beaming.

The man looks at Brigstocke incredulously.  ‘I am’.

Brigstocke explains that this is an example of giving power back to the paying public, by letting us do his job for him – just as the Big Society intends to do (although the audience is not always as capable as that wit). The show is smattered with these well-crafted analogies, and is at its best when they work. Others include a participatory demonstration of causes of the banking crisis, allowing the audience to lose their own money in front of everyone.

The show features other events from current affairs: the crisis in Greece, the wealth of Eton School and tax evasion. For the latter, Brigstocke openly displays his distaste for Jimmy Carr; however, much of the mocking of other comedians throughout his set seemed uncalled for. This is somewhat countered, refreshingly, by a healthy amount of self-deprecation. Brigstocke points out that he, like Osborne and Cameron, went to boarding school and that his dad was a banker. He insists that it is wildly unfair that people in this position should make up the majority of high-positioned jobs, repeatedly pressing his political points.

A sizeable amount of time at the beginning is spent on asking arbitrary questions to the audience – for example, finding out where they are from, the eldest and the youngest and locating different nationalities. This felt below Brigstocke’s abilities and wasted time, as there was not enough time to carry out Brigstocke’s Big Society game.

And there are moments where Brigstocke crosses the line and does not back down. He spends a while imitating foreign accents, and insists that everyone is ‘a bit racist’. This train of thought did not have a punchline or a point, and dragged down the rest of the performance – which was so cleverly thought out, sharp and funny.

Overall though, this satirical comedy show is sure to please those looking for intellectual humour that lacks smugness.  Ever the showman, Brigstocke is his comic best when telling stories to the audience. His facial expressions, voices and a surprising ability to beatbox – along with his sarcastic and razor-sharp wit – make for an enjoyable evening.