Review: PIERRE NOVELLIE: MUST WE?, Soho Theatre

“Life is not fair”

Have you ever heard of a cargo cult? Pierre Novellie has, and he’s ready to tell the audience all about it. Pierre Novellie: Must We? is Novellie’s newest hour of comedy and takes a look at the fairness (or unfairness) and expectations of life, using his own as an example. After releasing a book last year, Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things?: A Comedian’s Guide to Autism, Novellie is talking about his life on stage, ranging from how he compares himself to John Frum and the cargo cults to his different adventures related to food. 

One of the first things Novellie brings up is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to Soho Theatre pipeline, in which comedy shows that have a darker and/or deeper meaning end up getting the most acclaim. To quote one person Novellie heard while in Edinburgh, “It was good, but it was just a really funny hour of comedy.” Comedians have become the vicars of the secular world, passing on advice and messages to those who congregate in basement theatres.  In other parts of the country, as Novellie has observed, people simply want a laugh and don’t need the messaging that comes along with most stand-up shows these days. 

The majority of the show is Novellie’s observations on life through the lenses of his own experiences. In one segment he praises M&S as being a “Dense Boy’s Friend,” as he considers his body type to be “normal guy but bigger” and struggles to find clothes that fit him properly.

He goes into detail on how he has started using social media to promote his comedy, which has led to algorithms feeding him some interesting ads, ranging from books to solutions for baldness. A highlight is when he reveals his Spotify Wrapped from 2023, which he had hoped would be cool, but ends up being something different than he expected thanks to his listening habits while writing his book, leading him to call his playlist the “Spotify Wrapped of a nervous greyhound.”.  

There is a strong focus on food where Novellie discusses his opinions on the subjects, particularly on how he uses food as a motivator and a reward, comparing his beliefs to others - especially those who do not have autism. 

If someone has not seen a show by Novellie before, they might expect it to remain in the style that he praises at the top of the show - one in which an audience member laughs for an hour and leaves satisfied. However, Novellie has certainly taken up the mantle of being a comedian/vicar and has a point to make at the end of Must We?, asking some difficult questions about what makes life worth living. 

Towards the end of the show, Novellie brings up the tough subject of euthanasia and mental illness, using the example of a young woman from the Netherlands who fought in the courts for four years to win her case and died at the age of 29. At this point I strangely felt torn between the urge to cry and the urge to laugh. The case of Zoraya ter Beek is a difficult one, but Novellie is able take it and give the audiences moments to laugh at while still emphasising just how serious the situation is when it comes to mental health and euthanasia. It’s certaily a dark place to end a comedy show but Novellie makes it work, tying it back to the central themes of life and fairness. 

Pierre Novellie: Must We? is one of those rare comedy shows that is incredibly funny but still has some serious points to be made. Subjects like autism, burnout and euthanasia are all given the respect they deserve but are still used for jokes in a way that the audience feels comfortable laughing at. Novellie may poke fun at stand-up shows that have a deeper meaning than just an hour of laughs, but he is truly an expert at creating them.

Pierre Novellie: Must We? runs until 22 March at Soho Theatre.

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