★★★★
Appearing with a giant fluffy dog-head on and offering the audience chocolate bars if they are ‘good’, is how Sheffield-born comedian and former Lab Technician Stephen Catling chooses to open his show.
His absurdist performance is a joy and a masterclass in play. I was enthralled from the first moments to the (very) messy climax. Amongst all the strange musical cues and Stephen’s one impression (that of a growly neurotypical person) is a narrative of navigating the world as an autistic person. This comes in at such an obtuse angle that I feel some punters miss it entirely, and are merely captivated by the oddness of the set-pieces.
Stephen does employ a complete gear-change two-thirds of the way through the show, with details around working in animal testing and being bullied as an autistic person. It is a worthy detail to include, especially to educate audiences about the very real ostracization we face as autistic people and the horrendous questioning about our existence we endure. The gear change is perhaps too abrupt and needs to be finessed a little more.
Ultimately, the show is very funny, very enjoyable and serves as a showcase for an immensely funny talent.
Beehavioural Problems: Something Something Autism is on at The Space till August 26th
