*****

Anyone familiar with the work of Richard Herring will no doubt be aware of the ‘stooshie’ that arose from a recent Guardian article in which Herring had to defend himself against the implication that he may be a wee bitty racist.  Of course, having an entire city adorned with pictures of you mocked up as Hitler probably confuses the issue for some, but anyone with any lingering doubts will be set right by the content of his show ‘Hitler Moustache’.

As the audience sat in the Anderson Shelter-a-like surroundings of the White Belly, Herring informed us that he was reclaiming the Hitler, or more correctly the ‘toothbrush’, moustache for the purposes of comedy.  Chaplin had it first and then ol’ Adolf came along and ruined the look forevermore.  Herring’s decision to base his whole show around the dissection of the moustache and the ensuing effect it has had on him was an inspired one, and shows a certain dedication to the comedic cause.  It also makes him look a bit odd, but let’s gloss over that. 

The ‘tache is more than just a weird bit of facial hair, it’s a vehicle that allows Herring to serve up humourous anecdotes about his life, to rail against voter apathy and to question our value judgements.  Stand-up comedy often calls for a skill in analysing the self, but here Herring was able to link his observations into a commentary on society at large.  But if all this is sounding too serious, don’t worry.  The Herring we know and love is still in evidence, letching at young women in the British library.

This is comedy at its best, comedy which makes you laugh whilst also making you think.  The toothbrush moustache helped the rise of both Hitler and Chaplin.  In its current guise it could see Herring rule this Fringe.

Reviewed by Sarah

Being a regular listener to the Collings & Herrin podcast and a reader of Richard's blog I had been keenly following the development of this show and was really interested to see how it would actually turn out.

I wasn't disappointed. Richard Herring's show is about reclaiming the toothbrush moustache for comedy, after all Charlie Chaplin wore it first and this show has been the highlight of my Fringe so far.

With a serious point to make about attitudes in the UK to racism and the BNP, Richard uses anecdotes from his own life to illustrate his point to excellent comedic effect. In his black suit and titular Hitler moustache Herring challenges the opinions and attitudes of not only the general public but also his own audience. I left the show with a belly sore from laughing, plenty to think about, and my very own (velcro) Chaplin moustache.

*****

Richard Herring -  Hitler Moustache

Company: - Avalon Promotions

Venue: -  Underbelly Whitebelly V 61

Dates: - 6 to 30 August 2009 

Times: - 20.40 to 21.40 

Fringe Programme Page: - p90  C32