Review: 5 MISTAKES THAT CHANGED HISTORY, artsdepot

Paul Coulter’s 5 Mistakes That Changed History is an ingenious historical exploration, which is as sharp in its storytelling as it is rich in historical detail. Coulter has created an exciting, energetic and highly amusing show, which blends the world of knowledge with entertainment. This is a skilful masterclass in remaining engaging.

The set is cleverly dressed with an assortment of props which serve as playful foreshadowing of the stories to come: model trains, cakes, a globe, an elephant and miniature ships are scattered about the stage like a cabinet of curiosities. Even before Coulter steps out, a quiz projected on screen sets the audience laughing with questions about Marie Antoinette and other figures of legend, daring the crowd to separate fact from historical myth.

Coulter opens with a photograph of himself in full historical fancy dress, proudly embracing his inner history nerd. From there, he lays out the central theme of the evening: mistakes, both small and catastrophic, which altered the course of history. With comic ease he shifts between political gags, celebrity blunders and jaw-dropping tales of human folly, all the while anchoring his humour in meticulous research.

The five mistakes are each presented with jabs at misjudgement, with dazzling comic flair. We learn how Alexander the Great neglected to write a will, plunging his empire into chaos. Coulter is incredibly engaging, by unearthing stories which are as inspiring as they are absurd. He revels in the bizarre, whether explaining how tomatoes were once considered poisonous, with an exploration of the why and the how.

Coulter’s epic retelling of the Titanic tragedy is both jaw-dropping and moving, highlighting the tragic miscommunication between ships on that fateful night, before noting with relish the remarkable stoker who survived not only the Titanic but several other sinkings.

What makes Coulter’s performance exceptional is the balance he strikes between scholarship and showmanship. He is never dry, never didactic. Instead, he folds the audience into his fascination, delighting in the strange and often hilarious turns of the historical record. His comic timing is impeccable, his delivery polished, and his passion for history entirely infectious.

By the time he concludes with the reminder that we all make mistakes, even if ours do not usually change the world, the audience has been taken on a journey which is both uproarious and unexpectedly illuminating.

5 Mistakes That Changed History is a show which proves that history is not only about dusty facts and figures, but about human error, chance and consequence. It is a brilliantly entertaining evening which earns its place among the best reviewed shows of recent years. To miss it would be, as Coulter warns, your own great mistake.