Stirling is self-aware, and mocks his own awkwardness to rolls of laughter from the audience
Iain Stirling, the iconic voice of Love Island, is back on stage this year with his new stand-up show ‘Relevant’. The BAFTA award-winning comedian, dubbed a ‘national sensation’ by the Evening Standard is also known for his Prime Video stand-up special, ‘Failing Upwards’, and co-creating and starring in the sticome ‘Buffering’ alongside this tour’s support act Steve Bugeja.
Stirling starts the show with the classic Love Island opening ‘TONIGHT, IN… HACKNEY!’ It’s unusual for a headliner to open their own show, typically this job is down to the support act, but it seems to be a warm-up of sorts for Stirling himself. Initially jittery and anxious, he rushes through jokes, stumbles over words and backtracks on some audience interactions. That said, he’s self-aware, and mocks his own awkwardness to rolls of laughter from the audience. The audience interaction, though a little shaky, sets the tone for a lively evening of comedy.
Steve Bugeja, co-creator of ‘Buffering’, delivers a fantastic performance as the support act. His awkward demeanour suits his character as he dives into a well-structured set exploring the concept of the ‘ick’. He engages the audience by inviting them to share their own ‘icks’, resulting in an involving, relatable, and hilarious experience. Bugeja effectively uses physical comedy to enhance the humour, seamlessly returning to previous bits for comedic effect. His strong rapport with the crowd and seamless improv during audience interaction makes him a stand-out stand-up.
Post-interval, Stirling reappears on stage visibly more at ease, likening this part of the show to “returning to work after lunch.” He’s animated, using physicality to embody characters, pacing the stage with swagger and flair.
A large part of Stirling’s set revolves around the differences between men and women. Many of these first jokes hit home as he talks about the frustrations shared by women in (heterosexual) relationships – they’re relatable and amusing, a shared experience by many in the audience. The focus then shifts onto the contrasts between mothers and fathers. As a father himself, he praises his wife’s mothering skills. He humorously highlights the perceived simplicity of fatherhood compared to the myriad of challenges that women face when it comes to caring for their offspring. A man can simply be deemed a brilliant father if he manages to dress both himself and his child – while a mother wrestles with all sorts of responsibilities from whether to have an epidural to whether they should breastfeed and beyond. While the jokes resonate, it feels at times as though he is trying too hard to be relevant. Though these topics are important to discuss, his approach verges on mansplaining, and some jokes would be more effective from the mouth of a female/femme comic. That said, some of the points he makes are very clever, and it is refreshing to hear a man celebrate having a wife who earns more than him. Jokes like this are indeed ‘relevant’ in a society where being a stay-at-home dad is becoming more accepted, comics of Stirling’s standing can perhaps use their humour and platforms to ease the perspectives of those who still oppose the breaks-down of such gender norms.
‘Relevant’ tours throughout the UK until May 5th, taking a break before returning for two final shows in Liverpool and Edinburgh at the end of May. You can find performances near you by checking out Stirling’s website here: https://www.iaindoesjokes.com/home#live