by Ed Fortune
Mitch Benn should be familiar to most UK-based genre fans. The comedian and musician has been around for quite a while, and his little ditty Call Me During Doctor Who and I’ll Kill You became something of an anthem when Doctor Who relaunched back in 2005. He’s also written the Terra series of science fiction novels, so it’s safe to say he’s familiar with STARBURST Magazine. Benn is a bit of a cult figure but in a good way.
His new show, The Point, is a comedic search for a reason as to why comedy, comedians and indeed, comedians with guitars, matter. This isn’t as self-indulgent as it sounds; it’s more an excuse to string together some songs and small routines about life, the universe and everything. But mostly comedy.
We get a brief musical history of comedy itself and another song on a similar theme, and then Mitch digresses to tell jokes about the state of the world or talk about what it’s like to be a comedian with a guitar in 2023. There’s a fair bit of introspection here as Mitch mines his own life for jokes. Benn spent a good chunk of his career writing short songs about current affairs for the BBC, so we also dip into political commentary here. Given that this is the UK, there’s a lot to mock, and thankfully doesn’t go too far into the depressing details; we just bounce off the surface in order to steal some laughs.
Mitch Benn is a funny, passionate bloke who has a wealth of material and talent to draw on. The Point is quite a personal show at times, and the venue is a good size for this sort of intimate show. Benn is more than just a bloke with a guitar; his act is much less about using music to get an easy laugh and more about enhancing his point with a well-placed song or riff. Mitch Benn may be wondering what The Point is, but to the audience, it’s very clear, making us all laugh until we’re red in the face. And he does this very well. Bloody funny, go see.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about Mitch Benn here.
