By Ollie Wilson
Patrick Monaghan has a very engaging manner - exploring the audience and quickly locking them into his act. On this night, he encountered an interesting selection, ranging from a 12-year-old boy at the back to an old drama school mate at the front.
He fished for their schooldays nicknames, landing a small haul including 'Kitty', 'Gaylord' and 'Cougar'. His own schooldays, in Middlesbrough, after this family had fled Iran, were fascinating. He was nicknamed 'Terrorist' because 'Foreigner' was taken - assigned to boy from nearby Gateshead!
Monaghan's storytelling is marvellous. He spins the yarn of growing up as an Iranian exile in a sometimes-hostile North-east England most skilfully. You can picture him as a child in a suitcase being smuggled out of Iran or taking part in his school Nativity play. He also has a good sense of generational differences, drawing out blasts from the past like 'the sliderule', 'chess' or 'paper' (!) from baby-boomers to confound the digitally addicted Gen Z.
Most of all, there is joy in his act, a rich musicality and great fun. I was at the gig with my fellow cast members from another show, having had, admittedly, a few refreshments, and it felt like Patrick was weaving magic in front of our eyes. We all loved the show - and loved him, too! And the Freddie Mercury finale was brilliantly entertaining.
Star Rating: *****
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