Reviews Edinburgh Published 13 August 2012

Tony Law: Maximum Nonsense

The Stand ⋄ 3rd - 27th August 2012

Comic perfection.

John Murphy

A lunchtime comedy show at the Fringe should ease you into the day; an hour or so of gentle observational material, say, designed to set you up for a busy day dashing from venue to venue.

Tony Law’s Maximum Nonsense, though, isn’t your typical lunchtime comedy show. Dressed in braces, boots and with a haircut that can only be described as ‘unusual’, he packs so many non-sequiters, surreal imagery and an entire orchestra of silly voices into an hour that you end up stumbling out into the daylight dazzled and dizzy from what you’ve just witnessed.

Law is a naturally funny man – one of those comedians who can have you laughing before he’s even opened his mouth. And when he does open his mouth, a succession of comedy pearls tumble out. Whether it deconstructing the nature of “banter”, the difficulties inherent in looking after trolls, a discussion of historical figures or self-deprecating swipes at the lack of posters advertising his show, the low price of tickets or the audience-unfriendly timeslot, it’s nearly impossible to catch your breath at the invention on display.

In one particularly inspired set-piece, Law bemoans the success of ‘musical comedians’, before unveiling a steel drum and playing it while telling jokes over a particularly melancholy minor key. It shouldn’t work, indeed there are times that you wonder why on earth you’re laughing, but that is the genius of Tony Law.

It’s brought to a head by a terrific ending, in which Law muses that he’s failed to think of a sufficiently flashy conclusion for the show, quickly proving himself wrong by setting up a finale including tiny models of elephants, video projections, celebrity impressions and audience participation. It’s impossible to describe, but like much of Law’s material, makes a beautiful, weirdly obtuse kind of sense.

Tony Law has been around for quite a while, but with Maximum Nonsense he’s stepped up to a whole new level. Don’t be too surprised to find this show on the shortlist for the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the end of the month.

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John Murphy

John is the former editor of, and current contributor to, musicOMH. He lives in Sheffield, in the shadow of the famous Crucible and Lyceum theatres, and also reviews in nearby Leeds and Manchester. John is also a huge fan of stand-up comedy, and can be often be found in one of Sheffield's comedy clubs, laughing like a madman.

Tony Law: Maximum Nonsense Show Info


Written by Tony Law

Link http://www.thestand.co.uk/

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