An askance look at life’s bewildering frustrations, and male fertility
It’s a cliché to describe every Northern comic as “down-to-Earth”. But Ian Smith’s hilarious bafflement at the trappings of everyday life – pub beer gardens, supermarket shopping, what3words – is nothing if not relatable. His easy rapport and distinct brand of exasperation make Foot Spa Half Empty a crowd-pleaser with a warm heart. Brimming with surreal digressions, Smith delivers an accomplished, tightly-structured set full of sharp jokes and cheeky asides.
Since critically-acclaimed Crushing, Smith has been on the up – he’s got elderflower cordial in the cupboard, made his debut on Have I Got News For You, and even has his own Wikipedia page. He jokes that, as a comic finding humour in stressful life moments, he worried he’d have nothing left to write about. But Smith’s fruitless attempts to become a father land him in a windowless capsule giving a sperm sample, providing the show’s narrative spine. There’s a level of bravery to discussing male fertility issues onstage, but Smith’s comic instinct cuts straight to the laughs.
Much of Foot Spa Half Empty covers familiar territory – becoming middle class, getting older, embarrassing medical tests – yet Smith consistently uncovers the surreal ridiculousness beneath. It’s a polished, multi-layered performance rich with recurring gags, and a handful of unexpected props inject a welcome unpredictability. His relaxed rapport with the audience gives the show a bespoke quality: a groan from the stalls provides extra content peppered throughout the show, and an accidentally upended glass of water ends up funnier than many comics’ written routines.
Smith is at his best railing hyperbolically against the absurdities of everyday life. Highlights include a seagull flying around armed with a steak knife, and a primary school lesson about identifying fruit using the sense of touch. Some more avant-garde elements – a flashforward is trailed at the show’s outset, and the audience is left to anticipate some “product placement” – add a sense of dramatic tension. A picture frame facing into the wall becomes a sight-gag Chekhov’s gun.
Whilst a few moments don’t quite land, Smith’s likeability and joke-packed script ensure the laughs quickly return. Foot Spa Half Empty’s infertility thread keeps the show moving along, and by normalising a surprisingly common problem (1 in 12 men, apparently) smuggles in a warm message. Fundamentally, though, it’s simply a joy to see an accomplished performer at the top of his game. Worth it for the knife-wielding seagull alone.
Foot Spa Half Empty is on national tour from February-June 2026, and tickets can be purchased here.