I sorta have the impression that Josie Long is part of a movement in UK comedy. Since the birth of alternative UK comedy in a strip club in London, it has expanded massively to the huge scene today – it has itself become the mainstream. Of course thats the way things go and – its no bad thing and its great to see comedy on the high street of every town and city. but the big weekend clubs as personified by Jongleurs but it can be somewhat restictive and a bit blokish. Long is much better suited to the theatre style environment where we see her tonight (its actually a cinema but used for comedy during the Fringe).
How much Long actually sees herself as part of a movement or anti-movement with Daniel Kitson, Robin Ince and others is a moot point because these things are always fictional notions when it comes down to it – whats really going on here is just one young woman doing her thing, her way.
And in fact thats pretty much what the show – entitled “Trying is good” is all about. Josie not only shows great enthusiasm for her comedy – something she was fairly obviously made for – but anyone else who shows some passion and commitment in their chosed form of expression, no matter how misplaced it could be said to be.
Charming and disarming in equal measure, Long is an extremely capable purveyor of one-person-stand-up-comedy-theatre varying pace, banging in punchlines and building a structured show around the thesis of her loosely but very ably presented philosophy of life. A real pleasure.
Xx