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   Review: Simon Munnery: Hats off to the 101er’s – The Lowry, Salford
Writer and performer: Simon Munnery
Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: Three out of Five. Simon Munnery starts off his new show in the way he does not intend to go on. A show made up of lengthy monologues and songs opens with a series of short and marvellously surreal one-liners. Munnery enters wearing a stovepipe hat from which bubbles pop. This is, he explains, a metaphor for western capitalism – the bubbles are running out and the batteries are flat. Claiming to represent the Thought Police he interrogates audience members as to whether they are thinking the usual or (with a demonic leer) the unusual. He advises that if we expect the unexpected we will always be disappointed. Better to expect the expected. After this breathless opening Munnery performs the song from which the title of the show is taken. The doomed 1930’s R101 airship is the basis for a one-man six-minute punk opera. Munnery has a love of wordplay and puns that is not restricted to the verbal. He plays a guitar solo by holding the instrument close to the floor (‘so-low’ geddit?) .He muses that ‘ All shows need a structure’ pointing to a metallic arc he has set up at the rear of the stage. Actually Munnery has pinpointed the failing of his new show. It is a loose collection of monologues that are all very funny but fail to build to a conclusion so that the show just peters out in a vaguely unsatisfying way. But the monologues themselves are largely excellent. Sherlock Holmes confesses that his career was built on dumb luck. Hammered out of his skull he guessed at the identity of the culprit, got lucky and lived on his reputation ever since. There is an imagined dialogue between the thieves who were crucified beside Christ. The role of women in society is explored in depth. Other sections are less successful. There is a parochial series of gags in which Munnery pokes fun at the various slogans used to promote his hometown of Bedford. One can imagine this would go down a storm in the area but is puzzling to a Salford audience (except me – my sister lives there so I thought it was hilarious). A filmed advertisement break just isn’t funny. Munnery retains or revises routines from earlier tours that are beneath his talents – analysing Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics and Dylan’s singing style. Having built up a head of steam the show ends abruptly leaving the audience up in the air. A shame that a show that opened with such promise ends with a slight sense of disappointment.
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