Alexander Bennett is a first rate comedian. In many ways a sequel to 2019’s ‘They Call Me Daddy Punchlines’, his new show is another deep dive into his undeniably dark interior monologue. Self-love, and self-confidence, or rather his lack of either, forms the basis of ‘I Can’t Stand the Man, Myself’. Dissatisfied with this status quo, and what he sees as an epidemic of self-loathing amongst his generation, Alexander is sounding the alarm. It’s time he learned to stand himself. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bennett, still only 30, has steadily improved as a writer & performer since I first saw him back in 2018. Dark, biting, deeply cynical humour is part of his comedic DNA, but it’s a blade he’s tempered with time, talent, and hard work. In ‘I Can’t Stand The Man Myself’, he plunges into a multi-faceted self-analysis. His reasons for self-dislike are manifold, from not liking his body, to not liking what he’s done, or even what he thinks.
Each is a diving board into surprising, and cackle-rich waters, be it the UK’s broken housing market, the 3 types of clothing available to men, or his enduring admiration for those able to toilet in public. He’s spent an unhealthy amount of time coming up with ‘things he looks like,’ though in his sparkly, lightning strike embossed shirt, I was surprised he left out ‘competitive darts player, or off-duty ten-pin bowler.’
You’d think a show quite so in orbit around self-dislike would be grim, but whilst the show perches next to the abyss, and you may never think of Captain Hook the same ever again, it doesn’t fall in. In fact, Alexander is setting sail for healthier waters, and come the 2024 show, we can check in and see how he’s doing. Ultimately, ‘I Can’t Stand The Man Myself’ is a call not only to self-love, but far more tolerance and inclusion in public conversation.
If the main part of society doesn’t find a way to reach out to the legions of self-loathing men in the world, then others will. Keep telling anyone who’s liked an Andrew Tate video, or a Britiain First post, that they are untouchable, and you only drive them into sinister arms. He should know, he’s stared down those rabbit holes and felt their pull. The show not being a TED talk, but a comedy show, Bennett couches his theis amidst all manner of bizarre metaphors, from nationalist pride in Yorkshire puddings to philosophical Record Shops.
As a result, messafe is never allowed to overtake comedy. Retaining his fine ear for a gag, Alexander Bennett is now layering his jokes, and setting the punchlines off with the skill of the Edinburgh Tattoo’s firework coordinator. He knows how to take everyday things and tilt them edgeways to find the ridiculous. His observational comedy is sharp, and it has to be given the perils of including words such as ‘suicide’ and ‘estate agent’ in his material. Which isn’t to say the show lacks for outright fun, and a running joke concerning social media posts designed to make you feel your age never misses.
If you think I find little to dislike in the show, you’d be right, but there is one glaring exception: the very end. The finale is technically clever, and apt, but the joke is carried on far, far too long. Sometimes more is more, but not in this case.
However, as with this final gambit, there’s nothing safe about this show, Alexander Bennett is a comedian with opinions, and he doesn’t need you to agree with every single one. In fact, you might say that’s a crux of the show. He is, after all, in the business of saying all of his ‘quiet bits’ out loud. You and I may well question his chosen totem examples of self-confidence, but with any luck Alexander Bennett will avoid being arrested in a field between now and 2024.
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