August 18, 2026 at Monkey Barrel, Cabaret Voltaire 1
Stuart Goldsmith has found a niche, and it’s working for him. Comedy is usually more interesting when it’s specific, and Goldsmith’s shows about the climate crisis and sustainability are no exception. He’s done large amounts of research into the topic (large compared to how much research comedians normally do – not, he frequently reminds us, compared to actual experts), and the show sometimes feels, in a delightful way, like a neurodivergent person eager to tell us all he possibly can about his hyperfixation. It also feels, in an endearing way, like a person trying to hold himself back from infodumping too hard, as hyperfixators often learn to do.
And it feels, in a slightly disappointing way within an overall great show, like he’s succeeded just a little too much at the latter. There are points where he doesn’t include specific stats or facts even though it would make sense to put them there, which makes the show more accessible but suggests a bit of distrust for the ability of his audience to take all that in. He also pulls some punches, especially compared to earlier iterations of the show, in terms of the less pleasant stuff related to how humans affect the crisis.
The reason for this is understandable – Goldsmith is trying a very difficult maneuver, walking a tightrope between being honest about the scale of an apocalyptic threat; inspiring people into action, rather than scaring or shaming them into inaction; and, somehow at the same time, being funny. Goldsmith walks this tightrope beautifully, with the skill of a comedian who’s been honing his craft for 30+ years; this is a balance that a less experienced writer would fail to strike. He often succeeds in hitting more than one of those goals within the same moment.
Achieving that balance requires being very careful about the way he communicates, which makes for a great polished stand-up show, but unfortunately required some of the edges to have been sanded off. It doesn’t hit as hard as it could have, but it does get good consistent laughs and leaves the audience better informed and equipped to understand a threat to humanity, and that’s a lot to ask, of a stand-up show.
It’s still a great hour. Goldsmith is affable, funny, and passionate about telling us what he knows and telling it in just the right way. He finds relatable examples, he finds the right time to undercut each tough bit with a joke, he finds the hilariously absurd within the existentially terrifying. It’s a lot of fun, and Goldsmith is such a competent pair of hands that the audience can sit back and enjoy it while hardly noticing the trickiness of his tightrope act.
Dave Baillie