Shalom. Salve.
Two greetings Tom Rosenthal is all too familiar with, due to his famed roles in the sitcoms Friday Night Dinner and Plebs. It is with this show, though, that the comedian is aiming to move away from acting and instead highlight his stand-up talent.
This is a comparison he chooses to draw with the band Arctic Monkeys, hence the show’s name—a play on their album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. After criticising the band’s work post-2007 (one night he’s bound to get heckled for that), he makes the point that creatives may change their style over time, and lose fans, but what matters is that they’re still doing what they love. A reflection of his own shift to focus on stand-up over acting. Arctic Monkeys serve as a reminder of this throughout the performance, from the way Rosenthal dresses, to the album cover on stage, to the folk and Jewish twist on I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor playing as he leaves.
Personally, I feel no stand-up routine is complete without a few minutes of weird insanity that make you completely question the performer, but also offer insight into how much they enjoy being on stage. Rosenthal delivered this on two notable occasions: by acting out a military attack (including air-shooting the whole front row), and by a five-minute hand-kissing scene. And trust me: you won’t look at him the same after you’ve seen him take his sock off in the finale.
As a seasoned comic, Rosenthal clearly knows to contrast these blatantly strange scenes with a serious note, focusing on his autism diagnosis. He highlighted how it affects his day-to-day life and work, with examples of struggling with small talk, and taking reviews to heart. Even while offering a glimpse into the person he is behind his characters, he managed to keep the audience laughing. In fact, I don’t think there was a time when they ever stopped.
Overall, Tom Rosenthal (not Johnny Goodman), I say you are a top-notch comedian, whether standing solo on a stage or playing a role on TV. Now you say: that’s what I am.
Tom Rosenthal: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I am is running until 24th August at Upstairs, Assembly Roxy.
Buy tickets here.
Image by Alice Locker.