Michael Legge: Jerk

• Claire Sawers
• 6 August 2017

This article is from 2017.

Big laughs and ranty surrealism from gripe-happy comic

Shouty misanthropy and indignant outrage are what Michael Legge is good at. Although the Fringe is full of soapboxers who forget to make the ranting funny or give it any kind of point. Legge's loud, bilious bitterness comes with big laughs even if not all of them make much sense. The show is named after his dearly departed dog, Jerk, who he pays tribute to with a baffling musical comedy bit. Hopefully it's not too much of a spoiler to say that lyrics from Texas pop songs are given a white supremacist twist.

Describing himself as a childless, alcoholic vegan in his 40s, Legge treads a good tightrope between absurd non-sequiturs and actual, legitimate gripes: visiting the Apple store, hate-watching Ed Sheeran videos and being cornered by his alt-right friend (albeit a made-up one) have all got him livid lately. Dressed in a Hansa Tonstudio t-shirt (the Berlin studio where David Bowie's Low and Heroes was recorded, plus other beauties by Tangerine Dream and Depeche Mode), he goes to elaborate lengths to compare his dog's life to Bowie's music career.

There's also a surreal bit about a masturbation fantasy that gets ruined by an interruption from a butterfly. Sharing his spite and trips down the shame spiral might lead to burst eardrums but it's very good fun along the way.

The Stand II, until 27 Aug (not 14), 1.20pm, £9 (£8).