Ian Stone is something of a contradiction, walking onto the stage with his blonde mop top hair, thin build physique and casually dressed in black jeans, he seems like an average, middle of the road man, who, if you had to describe him, your best bet would be inoffensive. As the shows starts he begins to tell you about his family and the amusing stories from his two young children, then just as you begin to assume that your first impression is totally spot on, he launches into his angry rants about arguments with customers in supermarkets, what he thinks of terrorists and jokes about the little missing girl Madeleine McCann. You suddenly realise that this man is anything but inoffensive! Though what he has to say is a little close to the bone, his material rarely becomes overbearing because Ian Stone is a fantastic comedian. Despite the subject matter he delivers his routine in a warm and inviting style that has the audience roaring with laughter and marvelling at how far he can push his rants about the world.
There are some minor problems with the show, mainly when he takes it too far. Some of the material, while polished and expertly handled, crosses the line, especially comments about Muslim which are uncomfortable and is met by the audience with silence.
Though Stone takes it all in his stride, he knows that, if one joke misses, the next dozen will have the audience hooting with delight.
4/5
Martin Miller
