RHUM

Michael Workman's show, Mercy, tells the obtuse story of a Cuban man who annoys Castro and gets exiled in a boat, on the sea, with a pile of cabbages. The tale includes standard love story, an angel called Keith, a shark, a daughter, some family gesture and it's all set in the 1960s.

Workman uses all of his party tricks for the show – he can draw a bit, he can play the piano a bit, he can sing a bit and sometimes he tells jokes.

The laughs come half way through the act with a series of observations about sharks. This is where Workman's unique comedic voice is most evident with some really elegant observations. The audience was happy. He was happy. And then he sang a song. And then there was something about cabbages.

The show was a touch confusing and it's hard to be engaged with the story when you're feeling disorientated. There was some genuinely lovely stuff in there, Workman has a lovely turn of intellect, but he lost the audience by being a little too clever by half. At the end there were platitudes about courage and again with the cabbages.

Workman's distinct voice is at times lyrical and at times genuinely funny. He's a face to look out for in the future but two days of research into Mercy? I believe it.

Chuckle Factor: 3/5

Buy tickets HERE