Latitude review: Alex Horne, Monsieur Butterfly

Live comedy is unpredictable at the best of times, but Alex Horne takes risk to another level in his new show, Monsieur Butterfly.

Previewed here at Latitude ahead of its month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Horne’s latest offering is about how small changes can have a huge effect – like having three kids, for example.

To illustrate his point, Horne gradually constructs a giant mouse trap – yes, like the board game – using two A Frame ladders, some guttering, two snooker cues, a Barcelona FC scarf, a baby’s bathtub, a bowling ball, a tennis ball, a toilet seat and a basket to catch the naughty squirrel he found in his kitchen on the night his third child was born.

He also enlists the help of audience members, who jump on and off stage to help Horne piece together his stupidly inventive set.

It’s slightly barmy – like the game itself – but we play along, and, fighting against the drum and base bellowing from outside the tent, Horne wins us over like a pro.

Alex Horne’s shows are always wildly ambitious, and Monsier Butterfly is surely stand-up at its most creative.

Date of live review: Thursday 17 July @ Henham Park, Suffolk.