Review: ANDY PARSONS: HEALING THE NATION, Nuffield Southampton Theatres

At a time of confusion, uncertainty and political chaos, never has there been more to talk about; and never has our country needed more reason for light relief and laughter.

Fresh in its first week, Andy Parsons brings his Healing the Nation tour to Nuffield Southampton Theatres. The show was, he admits, initially designed to be performed in post-Brexit Britain, with the original date for leaving the EU set in March.

It's now September, and the situation is still as confusing and somewhat uncertain as ever. Parsons has, therefore, accommodated far more than just the fallout of leaving (with or without a deal) in his show, bringing people together through his observations on a number of divisive topics: from parenting and badgers to fracking and conspiracy theories.

His comedy is plain-talking relief in turbulent and potentially controversial times. The set doesn't shy away from touching on some of the bigger and more antagonistic news stories at the moment. This is not, however, heavy stuff; he doesn't dwell on each subject or rant about politics for hours, and the pace of the show means that, despite the often rather weighty subject matter, the evening is refreshing and light.

In fact, it feels good to laugh about topics which otherwise may cause concern or worry on a daily basis; Parsons gets the balance just right.

The show is, as the title suggests, a celebration of what it means to be British. He aims to unite us in our mutual disdain for our own country and our shared sense of humour, and it works well.

His witty callbacks to previous jokes bind the whole show together and give the set a conversational feel, making it even more engaging. This excellent comedy craftsmanship is also evident in his extensive research; never has standup taught an audience so much about the science behind TB vaccinations in cows, for example.

Parsons seems to stop short of getting too stuck into much of his content to avoid intense debate, but there's no doubt that he is well-informed, and the jokes he makes are shrewd and witty.

He also makes some quite touching points about loneliness (after his involvement with the Campain to End Loneliness) as well as anecdotes about his daughter's birth and his little boy's musings about a drone on the moon. There is a definite determination to find the good in things at such a negative time through both comedy and feel-good storytelling.

As in all good shows, the audience interaction is top-notch too and his ability to poke fun at himself (a gap on the front row became excellent fodder for self-deprecation) made Parsons even more relatable.

This is high-quality political and social comedy that aims to bring our nation back together again; uniting us in divisive times and building a bridge across the multitude of barriers we face every day using Parsons' classic, straight-talking humour.

Laughter is indeed the best medicine: Healing the Nation does exactly what it says on the tin, and what could be more British than that?

Andy Parsons: Healing the Nation is on tour across the UK until December

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