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The National Student
10 August 2008
Rating (out of 5): 
Laurence Clark: Spastic Fantastic! @ Pleasance Courtyard
Well there’s a title that’ll grab your attention. It’s caught a fair bit of press attention too, much to Laurence Clark’s amusement. I’m reluctant to label it as such but this will be pigeon-holed as issue based comedy, and unfortunately I don’t think Clark will ever be labelled as doing anything else. If the label can be discarded it’ll be society that does it and not Clark, although he certainly will aid the process. As a stand-up, you draw upon your life and experiences to feed your material. Comics often talk about their nationality, gender, sexuality or race, but with Clark and his cerebral palsy, its more of… well… an ‘issue’. Despite this, Clark brushes off any suggestion that his role is to raise awareness, he’s a comedian, it’s his job to make people laugh and he certainly does that… a lot.
You can’t escape from the facts though, watching Clark perform is a different experience, it demands a little more concentration in order to catch every word, and tough shit, as Clark would say – there’s nothing he can do about that.
Through video inserts of prankish behaviour on the streets of London, Clark toys with the general public and their preconceptions of a man in a wheelchair with affected speech. These clips follow a simple premise but consistently amuse and entertain. Clark is tremendously cheeky, jabbing away at society’s sensitivities; teasing and testing those who misguidedly mean well.
Clark is a stimulating, witty, intelligent and genial host who’ll compel you to examine yourself and others; a genuine pleasure to spend time with. But don’t see this show to be educated or challenged; see it for the reason that it’s a bloody great hour of comedy because above all, that’s what it is.
