Rick Shapiro: Rebirth

It’s clear from the moment Rick Shapiro shuffles onto the stage that he shouldn’t be here. A recent coronary condition has left him weak and shaky, while he’s still suffering from amnesia caused by a car accident four years ago.

He’s barely able to get through two consecutive lines for the first five minutes of the show, never mind deliver a fully-formed joke. Stuttering non sequiturs give way to baffling rants and pointless misanthropy, punctuated by apologetic mutterings about his health. “Stay with me,” he pleads. “I had a heart attack and I’m on more drugs now than when I did drugs”.

In many ways it’s comedy at its most tragic, yet as the show progresses he gains in confidence and delivers sparks of inspiration – even if he’s incapable of following them up. Shapiro would no doubt loathe the description, but it’s a performance of tremendous bravery which, between the numerous references to oral sex, often sees him bare his soul.

His description of leaning against the shower wall “like a broken down Spiderman” while a nurse washes him is just one of the poignant moments which unexpectedly crop up.

Ultimately, in a world where standup is constantly accused of bland homogenisation, Shapiro is still a true original fighting against the system (and his own doctor).

“I used to be afraid of nothing,” he confides when contemplating his own death. “Now I’m afraid of nothingness”. Here’s hoping this newfound respect for life will see him take a much-needed extended holiday and return angrier and better than ever next year.