Heartwarming and honest blend of humour, reflections and storytelling
After a sell-out Edinburgh Fringe run, Alex Kealy brought his new show “The Fear” to Soho Theatre. Regarded as one of the most exciting emerging comedians, Alex has supported major acts, including Jack Dee and Shaparak Khorsandi, and hosts his podcast “Gigs Pigs” along with Ivo Graham.
Over the course of an hour, he covered a lot of ground – talking about his marriage, his relationship with his parents, the general chaos of the world, and his fear of impending death. He moved between these topics easily, keeping the audience engaged with his sharp observations. Even when he got into heavier territory, he always found a way to break the tension with punchlines that felt surprising but well-timed, making sure the crowd was laughing the whole way through.
What I really enjoyed about Alex is the honest way he talks about his struggles with anxiety. As someone who used to be anxious myself, I found his thoughts on death, being overly polite, and never wanting to bother anyone really resonated with me. He has a way of making these personal topics feel relatable without losing the humorous aspects. His reflections on his upbringing and how it shaped him into who he is today are delivered with a refreshing candour. He doesn’t shy away from talking about the awkward or difficult parts, making it feel genuine and easy to connect with. One joke in particular about being the captain of his high school pistol team got a big laugh from the audience. I do think that at times, even though I’m a fan of self-deprecating humour, his jokes about being a people pleaser went on a bit too long.
The highlight of the show was Alex’s take on his fear of death (who isn’t scared of death?). He managed to keep it both thoughtful and funny without feeling too heavy. The way he ended the show was especially clever; he played a video on the afterlife that wove in callbacks to his earlier jokes, bringing everything full circle and finishing on a strong note.
Alex shows a lot of promise as a stand-up comedian, and I’m a fan of his earnest, slightly anxious on-stage persona.