Little Lark of London

“This feels like what God would’ve wanted”

After a sold-out run at Leicester Square Theatre in June, Soresi returns to London with Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King for one night only at Union Chapel. A New York-based comedian, Soresi has been touring Europe for the past few months, sharing on topics ranging from what it’s like to be an American in today’s political climate to the creepiness of delivery robots having blinking eyes. 

Soresi’s opener, Ty Colgate, starts with a joke about marrying comedy and the church, as one might expect from a comedian performing in Union Chapel. Colgate is confident on stage, sharing moments from his life growing up in Florida, including dating a Disney Cast Member who was “friends with” Tinkerbell – who was in a polyamorous relationship – and the general struggles of being a millennial. He does his best with a pretty quiet crowd, joking about how no one protested when he called himself unattractive, saying, “You guys told me I was ugly and a Nazi!” There is also a pretty hilarious moment in which Colgate introduces Soresi at the end of his set, not realising there is an interval before the main act. Colgate recovers quickly, however, and makes it into a joke when actually introducing Seresi after the interval. 

Soresi enters with the iconic pose from Evita, arms up on either side of his head as the audience roars. He makes a joke about the current revival of the musical later in the show, claiming that the final few jokes will be livestreamed from outside Union Chapel in the same way “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is performed at the London Palladium. As one might expect from someone who is considered many people’s “favourite American comedian,” there are quite a few topical jokes about what is going on right now in the United States. At the mere mention of Luigi Mangione, Soresi receives an applause break, before going into a bit comparing Mangione to his “Waluigi,” Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. 

One of the main topics of The Drama King is Soresi’s mental health, as well as his ADHD, helpfully diagnosed by his girlfriend. Soresi thinks he should be on medication but fears the consequences, claiming, “I’d rather lose my keys than my spark.” One of the best lines from the night is from this bit, with Soresi saying, “I’m one of those people who say I’m gonna kill myself so much my therapist worries I lack follow through.” There is also quite a bit about Soresi’s girlfriend, including their anniversary dinner in 2021 involving coriander and the fact that they are both in therapy, quoting their therapists against one another in arguments.

Kudos to Soresi for skillfully handling several audience members who wanted their fifteen seconds of fame, shouting out during moments of silence in the hopes that they would be noticed by the comedian. It reached a point where, after several kinder responses, Soresi had to tell the audience to shut up in order to move on with his material. A particular highlight comes from when Soresi was discussing Times Square and someone called out “Elmo,” referring to the people who dress up as characters for tourists to take photos with, to which Soresi quickly responds with “Elmo says shut the fuck up!”

The show did go on for quite a while, ending at around 22:30 instead of the scheduled 21:30 – many audience members had to leave early, which was a shame as there were some great jokes and even a few sombre moments at the end. Soresi discusses how he struggles making friends, having only one (fellow podcast host Russell Daniels) and how he reached the point on tour where he was jealous of the Manson family whilst watching a documentary on them. There are also some more serious (but still funny) subjects, including comedy and cancel culture (“We need to put a stop to this straggot”), being Jewish (“Sometimes I feel like we need our own country”) and his family’s health (“What are you parents good for if not foreshadowing?”).

Ultimately, Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King is a fantastic show, and this particular performance with Union Chapel as a venue made for a unique experience. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the image of Soresi standing in the pulpit, revelling in the applause of the audience. I hope Soresi returns to London soon – if he doesn’t get detained at the airport first!

Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King will be at Glasgow’s Glee on 17 August. Soresi will then be at Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 18 to 24 August at Monkey Barrel 3. For more information, click here.