Hammersmith Apollo, London
Gilligan’s cartoonish parade of misunderstandings and manipulations have perspective and heart
When you get rich and famous for your relatable comedy, how do you stay relatable? It’s a perennial problem, but Mo Gilligan dodges it, at least for now, in There’s Mo to Life. That’s because this megastar-cum-lately, playing a whopping 10 nights at this venue as part of a UK tour, draws substantially for laughs on his life pre-fame. It’s also because that fame is still fresh – and his boy-next-door bulletins from inside the celebrity bubble have perspective and heart.
It helps that Gilligan has a gimlet eye for everyday behaviour: being broke, geezers on the town, boyfriend-girlfriend push and pull. It’s a brand of comedy that can feel unadventurous: these are well-worn standup subjects. But seldom – at least since Lee Evans packed it in – are they zeroed in on like Gilligan does here, nor animated with such unassuming insight and performing flair.
