Little Lark of London

“Shit or shite? A nation decides”

Jonathan Pie: Heroes & Villains, a show created and performed by Tom Walker, brings the infamous political character to the stage. Known for viral rants that can be found all over social media, Jonathan Pie is a political correspondent for the BBC with liberal views, typically attacking Tories in the United Kingdom or Republicans in the United States.

The warmup act, Maria Shehata, had a great set that included bits on New York City being its own world, dating as a woman with an Egyptian background, and the differences between living in Los Angeles and London. I thoroughly enjoyed Shehata’s performance but was confused as to why the interval took place immediately after her set, as what is the point of a warmup and then a cooldown of fifteen minutes? But these questions were quickly forgotten as the show began.

After a Twilight Zone-esque introductory video, with flashing screens and news from around the world, we are greeted by a dancing Pie and a disco ball on the screen, as the correspondent declares that he is practicing for Strictly Come Dancing, ready to take the next step in his career. We are then told what we are in for – Pie is giving a presentation in which he hopes to encourage the younger generation to vote, using the slogan “Get your votes out for the lads” and doing some truly terrible rapping about registering to vote.

The beginning of the show is set up like a TED Talk, with Pie presenting images on slides behind him, but this soon begins to unravel as he falls into his trademark rants that made him a household name. Some of his victims include Liz Truss, Russell Brand, Margaret Thatcher and, of course, Rishi Sunak, who Pie appears to have a particular hatred for – one that is quite justified based on the statistics provided in his presentation. However, things take a turn when we begin seeing Pie’s own faults and hypocrisies, leading to some revealing truths that make for a deeper look at the character.

While roasting the Tories (though he claims that he is not trying to tell people who to vote for), Pie has some truly spectacular insults ready, giving some Shakespearean-like monologues and rants. I particularly enjoyed his bit about the hypocrisy of the royal family, including a whole segment on King Charles and his “big fat royal sausage fingers.” Though the character of Jonathan Pie is fictional, the facts in Heroes & Villains are true and quite sobering, even when put in a comedic light. Pie reflects on the morality of humanity, arguing that we have always been this horrible, but are only able to see it through social media.

Ultimately, Jonathan Pie: Heroes & Villains is a fun show that really makes one think about how we consider other people as well as ourselves. What makes someone a hero? What makes them a villain? Who has the right to decide? We may not have all of the answers we want, but we certainly have Pie’s opinions to guide us.

Jonathan Pie: Heroes & Villains – limited West-End run at the Duke Of Yorks Theatre, ran until 27th April. Get tickets at JonathanPie.com