Josie Long: The Future is Another Place

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Last year Josie Long surprised everyone with a seismic shift from gentle whimsy to forceful political comedy. This year she picks up where she left off, progressing a refreshing brand of new left comedy that may pave the way for a generation of post-alternative political comedians.

Of course, Long hasn’t completely shed her whimsical skin, and tonight’s show is peppered with playful anecdotes. Highlights include a surreal mini-play about the Brontë sisters (with Long, of course, playing every part) and a window into the deranged minds of the Jedward twins.  But for the most part this is an unapologetically political show, with Long railing against the Coalition cuts and making an impassioned plea to her cohort of complacent left-leaning hipsters to galvanise around new activist groups like UK Uncut.

Admittedly Long’s political project lacks a fully coherent manifesto – tonight she loses her place more than once – but she’s bright and articulate, and any shambolic moments only act to limit the tone from becoming sanctimonious. Indeed the only weakness seems to be Long’s confidence in her own political convictions. Tonight, halfway through her set, she faces a faint heckle from a man cynical about her vision for higher education. It should be an insignificant moment, even a comic opportunity, but strangely it throws Long, who looks shaken by the vaguest prospect of confrontation. So while it’s clear Long has all the makings of an excellent political comedian—and will probably be preaching to the converted for most of her Edinburgh run—she’ll need a thicker skin if she wants to go further and seriously challenge the skeptics.