Emmanuel Sonubi: Life After Near Death review – laughs, gasps and blessings

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe Londoner delves into more personal territory in his new show, including the story of his heart failure while on stage several years agoEmmanuel Sonubi has always hidden behind how he looks: beefy, intimidating by choice, shrink-wrapped in skinny jeans. But now he’s stepping out from behind that image, he tells us – and appearing in his glasses for the first time, as if to prove it. So is this a change in direction for Sonubi, a revealing of the true Emmanuel behind the ex-bouncer shtick? Yes and no. There’s more bounce to his comedy in Life After Near Death, some cheeky-chappy smugness about his success, his manner not quite so smooth and sonorous as before. There are flashes of a greater intimacy too, as our host addresses some grave personal matters. But the show goes only so far in that direction, and no further.One of the matters in question is the heart failure Sonubi suffered onstage six years ago, and the mini-stroke it triggered. Another is the shame he carried from his troubled childhood, which he suppressed with a hedonistic lifestyle – until his body dramatically resisted. Sonubi outlines all this with a lightness of touch you might admire as skilful, regret as superficial – or accept as both. The Londoner does speak forthrightly about his bygone drink-and-drugs lifestyle, and later about his beloved mum’s cancer diagnosis, but never for long before swerving back to some first-base comedy about “I fucked your mum”, or rude words in BSL, or “I kicked that kid like a fucking penalty.”Touring from 17 September-23 JanuaryAll our Edinburgh festival reviews Continue reading...

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