Review: Rich Hall at Buxton Opera House

Often described as ‘grumpy’, in fact Hall tempered his absurdist satire and indignant tirades with affection and intelligence.

Lacing his sharply observed wit about life on both sides of the Atlantic with endearing references to the local area, he dealt first with the US presidential election and Brexit. He went on to poke fun at the American love of guns, the respective merits of duck hunting in Montana with an AK47 or with a loaf of bread, and the British tendency to be influenced by cuddly animals, ‘you people go out and buy insurance because a meerkat told you to’.

Hall’s interaction with the audience was particularly impressive, transforming off-the-cuff banter with people in the front rows into musical interludes improvised about their lives.

The evening ended with a series of wonderfully funny songs, (supported by Rob Childs on electric guitar), concerning a duped retired greyhound, (with the splendid refrain, ably assisted by a member of the audience, ‘fur on a stick’), why you won’t find love in Wetherspoons, and the deterioration of Bob Dylan’s live shows, complete with hilarious harmonica playing.

A master of his craft, Rich Hall was a delight.