Review – Michael Bowley: One Man Island

I’ve seen Michael Bowley a few times over the years; he’s always been pretty excellent but his current show happily strays into outright uproariousness.

Staged in the cosy Rhino Room beer-garden, One Man Island explores the hilarity that has been Bowley’s life of self-imposed social exile: dreadful faux pas stemming from living without a tv, a recent return to the dating scene (“ladies”) and otherwise being forced to engage with a society critically mismatched to his sensibilities. There’s a melancholy underlying much of Bowley’s delivery; a depth of character and humanity that adds an extra layer of complexity to the show.

Bowley’s self-deprecating style is disarming and utterly charming, if at times a little bawdy. One Man Island is uplifting and life-affirming; to the extent that you can laugh at other people’s misfortunes. I only stopped laughing briefly because I thought I may have been having a stroke: go see it now!