Can anyone really walk on stage the way Andy Parsons can and without saying a word immediately get a giggle out of an audience? The answer is a resounding no. And if you’ve ever watched Mock the Week, you’ll definitely get that reference.
One of the longest permanently serving members of Mock the Week, Andy spent 10 years alongside Dara O’Briain and is one of the many faces of the show I remember from my childhood when I was probably far too young to be watching TV like that. I’d wager that it’s thanks to him and others on the show where I’ve got my love for distorted and dystopian comedy from. However, there’s a special element of truth that runs between the lines of this comedy that comments on current affairs and points the finger at any bullshit – the kind that pulls the trousers down on “Downing Street Gatherings” during Covid and scrutinises the stupid.
Much like his comedy comrades, Andy’s career is laced with all kinds of fantastic work. He was one of the main writers on Spitting Image, the ground-breaking satirical puppet show that is still making a mockery of Britain’s alleged finest to this day. The list of radio and TV shows he has appeared on, which includes but isn’t limited to Live at the Apollo, QI and Parsons and Naylor’s Pull-Out Sections, is a sure sign of how successful he has been. Andy can also do serious and has appeared on the likes of Question Time and written columns for The Independent.
The Guardian have described Andy’s show as: “Cracking adlibbing… a joke-rich rallying call for a better Britain”. I think that’s the perfect way to describe what he’s bringing to the table with this show.
Andy’s spot at Ripping Yarms Comedy Club – love the name by the way – is just what we need right now when everything seems to have gone to pot, robbed at pump point by petrol stations and fighting each other over the last cucumber in Lidl (other supermarkets are available). This will be an honest, hilarious take on our current troubles…and who better to get into the nitty-gritty of it all than Andy Parsons.
The evening will be hosted by Laura Lexx and as well as Andy Parsons, she’ll be joined by Scott Bennett and Ninia Benjamin.
Andy Parsons heads to The Princess Alexandra Auditorium, Yarm on Thursday 23rd April. Tickets, priced at £21.00 in advance, are available from thepaaonline.org.
