★★★★
As Lost Voice Guy is helped on stage, the audience notices his shirt “I was disabled before it was popular” and the ad for his book on the screen behind him titled “I’m only disabled for the parking”. His humour involves self-depreciating jokes about being disabled which makes the audience uneasy at first, they don’t know if it’s appropriate to laugh, but Lee puts them all at ease by being hilarious and encouraging the laughter.
Lee Ridley has come a long way since winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2018. His use of AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication), has brought different communication styles our communities use into the mainstream.
He gives insight into the challenges of his condition, how they have to battle red tape and society’s expectations. Amongst other subjects, he attacks the benefit system, disabled dating life, the Paralympics and ‘being an inspiration’, which he takes great issue with and as someone with CP myself, I totally agree and empathise with this.
For him, he is just living his life but with additional challenges. Some of the humour is abrasive but the majority of the show is laugh out loud comedy.
Despite his dislike of being viewed as an inspiration, he is a role-model to other disabled people as he challenges societal norms and proves that there is a way you can smash through ableist barriers.
Lost Voice Guy: Cerebral LOLsy Gilded Balloon at the Museum – Auditorium 18:30 Aug 15-28 £12.50-11.50 14+
Review by Ciara McCarthy
