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Hay Festival 2007: Marcus Brigstocke
September 7, 2009 by Such Small Portions
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Marcus Brigstocke, Hay Festival, Hay on Wye, Josh Widdicombe
Marcus Brigstocke has always been a bit Radio 4; middle-class, intelligent and a tad smug.
So what better place for him to perform than the festival that is essentially a live version of the sleepy radio channel (literally at some points - Brigstocke has just come from performing Just a Minute)? It's unashamed middle-class armchair liberalism, but there's nothing wrong with that.
In all there are seven Hayite rounds of applause (for anti-Blair, anti-Bush, anti-Littlejohn rants) and the smugness does at points become a bit stifling in a crowded tent in the middle of Wales. But beyond this Brigstocke is charming, interesting and original; everything the Hay crowd would like to think they are.
He's taken on a harder edge recently, whether it's a reaction to the state of the world or a career move it doesn't matter, he has more bite and that can only be a good thing.
Of course he hasn't become some sort of corduroy-clad Bill Hicks, but he now comes across as one of the few comedians peddling political material because he actually cares.
His act makes you think far more than a lecture from A.A. Gill or Simon Schama ever will.
Josh Widdicombe
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