Mark Dolan is a charismatic and engaging comedian, who’s act at the Gilded Balloon this year feels more like a comfortable chat with some friends down the pub than a performance.  He constantly engages with his audience, calling back to previous conversations, and by the end of the show you feel like everyone in the room is an old friend.

While he is a strong performer –  and would certainly make an excellent compere – the premise of the show, changing the world, felt tacked on.  About 25 minutes before the end, Mark Dolan quickly went through a long list on a flipchart of things that annoyed him, such as the fairly bog standard complaints of selfies and kitten videos on the internet, rather than being a manifesto as billed in the programme and on his marketing.

 

 

 

If you come into this show expecting it to be strong political humour, you may leave slightly disappointed.  However, Mark Bolan is a talented comedian, and overall it is a good, comfortable show that would make a good start to your evening.  While it is billed as 14+ Mark Bolan’s brand of comedy is gentle, light hearted, and inoffensive so could even be suitable for a trip with a family. FOUR STARS