In a festival where comedians eager to share their personal histories, foibles and perspectives on the world can oft seem ten-a-penny, it makes a pleasant change of pace to spend an an hour in the company of Marcus Brigstocke presenting as Lucifer Morningstar, aka Satan, the Devil, etc, etc. And his commitment to the show is obvious as Brigstocke didn't reserve the red body-paint and horns for the poster photo-shoot alone!
Brigstocke’s (sorry, Lucifer’s) satire is intelligent, acerbic and spot on.
Admittedly, Brigstocke's not adverse to puncturing the make-believe if he thinks it'll get a laugh, especially once he starts sweating make-up into his eyes or fears his left horn may slip slowly down his face. (He's performing in a relatively large venue, but it's just as sticky and airless as required by Fringe rules.) However, the set up becomes clear early enough in the show - Lucifer has come to Edinburgh, a "city designed by Escher" because Hell is full. This should give you a sense of the often erudite nature of at least some of Brigstocke/Lucifer's asides
It's our fault, apparently. During the last few decades we've lowered the bar to eternal damnation to such an extent that Hell is now looking "take back control" of its borders, although obviously not in a racist UKIP sort of way as even Satan has his limits. Thanks to the information overload of the internet and social media, none of us can forgive each other any more, with the result that something as formerly innocuous as putting your bag on a seat on a busy train is a sure-fire route to eternal flames and torture.
Brigstocke spends much of his time showing how our ethical standards shift and evolve, not just over time but in our everyday application of them. And yes, Brexit, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump all crop up - sometimes before planned - but Brigstocke’s satire is intelligent, acerbic and spot on. It says much about the state of our world, though, when it apparently takes the Devil to tell us how to look after each other.
