Have you ever wondered how the other half live? That is, the under 25s whose social currency is trauma and neurodivergence? Then look no further than Finlay Christie’s latest hour of hysterical laugh-out-loud comedy. Directed by Bobby Mair, I Deserve This takes the audience through Christie’s life as a private school boy who donned the mask of a cockney accent and listening to rap music. Combining side-splitting observational comedy with brilliant word-play, it’s no wonder Christie is considered the future of stand-up.
Christie is undoubtedly at the top of his game
The format loosely follows a ten-step plan that he believes contains the necessary ingredients one requires to succeed as a young person in 2024. From the offset, it is clear that Christie is at home on the stand-up stage: he is confident taking space and doesn’t seek approval for the audience (a common pitfall of new shows). Rather than slipping into cockiness, Christie’s unabashed honesty and self-awareness sets him apart from the throngs of white, male comedians that benefit from their privilege in the comedy world. Some of his smartest jokes are satirical, drawing from the depressing state of the world and current socio-political climate, turning it on its head and ironically looking at it as a positive. Mair’s aptitude for directing is clear, as Christie’s bait and switch lands every time, aided by his calm demeanour and frank delivery.
Christie takes on topics popular with comedians poking fun at Gen-Z; however, instead of becoming hackneyed, he delivers jokes that provide an utterly unique and hilarious perspective, continually taking the audience by surprise. He bravely tackles the epidemic of mental health disorders amongst young people in a completely fresh way that invites us to laugh at ourselves, which is completely refreshing and fun. Christie’s adopted love of rap music is guaranteed to make you laugh: it’s cringe comedy at its finest that uses real footage of himself as a 16 year old. Pretty iconic.
Towards the end of the show, larger gaps between jokes start to emerge and Christie slightly loses steam. This would not be noticeable in most stand-up shows, but is apparent only because he is unbelievably strong for the rest of the hour. I have good faith that this will be cleared up by the end of the run.
If you are looking for a show that promises too many laugh-out-loud moments to count, this is the one for you. Christie is undoubtedly at the top of his game and has an incredibly bright future to head. Catch him while you still can!
