The Review - THEATRE by SARA NEWMAN Published: 14 February 2008
Look out – Bill’s back (sort of...)
BILL HICKS: SLIGHT RETURN
Apollo Theatre
THE radical comedy of Bill Hicks, complete with Pinteresque pauses and furrowed brow at the lunacy of conventional thinking, is to be resurrected for one night at the Apollo.
Following three sell-out seasons, Chas Early’s impersonation of the ranting, psychotropically enhanced cynic is returning to London just once ahead of a world tour.
It would be natural to be sceptical of tribute attempts, especially of such an original performer, but Richard Hurst’s tight script has met with approval from Hicks fans.
Hicks was appalled by the indoctrination of mainstream media of middle-America and never shied away from questioning the official version of events.
In his short life (1961-94) Hicks played a Republican God, mistakenly lacing the earth’s surface with cannabis plants, suggested employing dying hospital patients as extras in martial arts movies and re-enacted JFK’s assassination.
By all accounts Early (pictured) pulls off Hick’s only-sane-man-on-the-planet schtick with aplomb, and the material he has to work with is as funny and pertinent as ever. One night only – February 15
020 7494 5070