If you're looking at the face, and struggling with the name, then that is entirely forgivable and understandable. Simon Brodkin is the real name of his alter ego stand-up comedian, the Cockney cheeky chappy, Lee Nelson. However, Brodkin has made a very brave, and to my mind, a very sensble decision. He is leaving Lee Nelson behind and is now starting over as himself. A little older, a little wiser, and no longer feeling the need to hide behind a silly costume and pretend to be something he isn't.
This evening The Lowry Theatre in Salford hosted Brodkin's very first tentative steps onto stage in his own name, and although his routine needs a little bedding-in and tweeking - which will undoubtedly happen as the tour progresses - here stood a comedian who knew already how to work a room, how to command the stage and how to engage. All he had to do was try to keep as many of his Lee Nelson fans as possible (the auditorium was full of them!), and hopefully win a few new fans too along the way. Honest admission time, but after seeing Lee Nelson perform on Live At The Apollo [the televised version], I was pretty certain that I was not going to enjoy this evening at all, as Nelson was rritating in the extreme and not particularly funny.. just very 'laddish' and 'chav'. However, if this is the start of a new era for Brodkin and how he means to develop and promote himself, then he has just found himself a new fan already.
He presented himself as a very personable, easy-going, direct, self-effacing, straight-forward family man, and in two short 40 minute sections took us through subjects multifarious including children, sex in marriage, climate change, local news items and suicide bombers! He told us of his parentage and heritage, and how he left a profession as a doctor to become a 'clown', to the dismay of his very Jewish grandmother, and spoke also about his political activism with bonhomie but sincerity.
This evening Brodkin had to deal with some of the worst and most prolonged heckles I have ever witnessed at any stand-up comedy gig, and he was genuinely lost a couple of times, forgetting where he was in his routine due, especially, to a young lady from Bury. Brodkin coped with this though with humility and gentlemanliness and despite it obviously bothering him, he continued adroitly once he was able to, giving as good as he got.
I have only one slight comment on the negative side, and that is, for me, Brodkin was still using a few profantities too many. I am no prude - not by long chalk! - but still find the use of swearing at comedy gigs a very good measure of the type of audience the comedian is looking to entertain. Lee Nelson went for the Millenials and the working class (sorry fans, but he did!). I think Brodkin is a little better than that, and could market his comedy to families and the middle classes too. A good swear word here and there and used sparingly is worth fifty chucked out off the cuff meaninglessly. Saying that, this evening Brodkin wasn't doling out swear words like cough sweets, but it was borderline too many for me at least.
An absolutely brilliant debut gig, and I did laugh lots throughout. Thank you Simon Brodkin for your honesty and bravery, it does you credit, and I hope to be able to catch your next live gig when you come back Manchester way.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 2/2/20
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