Review: Russell Kane: Smokescreens and Castles – Durham Gala Theatre

Russell Kane

This past Tuesday saw Russell Kane bring his Edinburgh award winning show Smokescreens And Castles to the aesthetically pleasing Durham Gala Theatre – and Tuesday night comedy was certainly met with a Tuesday night atmosphere. Support act Chris Ramsey had his work cut out with the quiet, sold-out crowd, however he managed to warm the room well with half an hour of effervescent narrative comedy not too dissimilar to the star of the show Russell Kane.

Kane’s 2010 show Smokescreens And Castles is an entertaining, often poignant, hour of comedy from the Essex comedian. Like previous shows, Kane again uses the relationship with his Neanderthal father as a reference point for his familial routines, whilst addressing a lot of social politics through his working class caricatures which debunk and, at times, support class stereotypes – specifically through his many onstage impressions that are both endearing and genuinely funny. Like support act Ramsey, Kane’s energy is infectious.

Whilst his show perhaps isn’t the most structured, or coherent, hour I’ve experienced this year – at times the feed lines between routines are simply absent  – that didn’t detract from Kane’s fine performance in Durham on Tuesday. His material is relatable, intelligently considered, and he’s always going to win a crowd over with such a bold, likeable persona. Kane’s the perfect television comedian who’ll no doubt experience further mainstream success in the future; and rightly so.