By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 11 November, opens 15 November and runs through 23 December 2023 RUNTIME: 65 minutes (no interval)

Samuel Barnett (Allelujah!, Bridge Theatre) plays a stand-up comedian performing a 65-minute monologue about the sex life of a gay 36-year-old northerner living in London.

• Read on for reasons including why this is the funniest comedy of the year

Feeling Afraid … is written by Marcelo Dos Santos and won a Scotsman Fringe First and a Stage Edinburgh Award at the Edinburgh Festival.

He also penned Backstairs Billy, a comedy about the Queen Mother and her servant starring Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans which opened this week and runs at the Duke Of York’s Theatre in London’s West End.

Feeling Afraid … is presented as scripted stand-up with Barnett appearing alone onstage with only a stool, a microphone and its lead for company.

Barnett gives an energetic performance, darting about the stage left and right, glancing back to the audience with a knowing look and venturing into the seating space occasionally to provide some variety during this hilarious show.

The material perhaps would best be described as not the type you’d be wanting to accompany your parents to.

1 of the most memorable and recurring lines is, and we paraphrase: ‘Anyone ever cum blood while having sex and feeling you’re going to die? No? Me neither.’

Our stand-up is on a dark journey through self-awareness and self-sabotage and we, quite literally in our case, have a front row seat.

Barnett’s character goes on a date with a man he refers to as ‘The American’ who is so fit he boasts ‘semen gutters’ which prompts a bout of unworthiness from our host until he discovers the object of his affection has cataplexy, a condition similar to narcolepsy meaning he could die if he laughs. Quite the quandry for a stand-up comedian.

Dos Santos’ stand-up character is as frank about sex and relationships as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag (Wyndham’s Theatre) and it’s easy to see why this comedy has been so garlanded thus far.

Like Waller-Bridge, Barnett gives a masterpiece of performance and Feeling Afraid … is, quite possibly, the funniest thing we’ve seen onstage all year.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy Bush Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen Samuel Barnett before or been to the Bush Theatre?
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