Review: MARTIN URBANO: APOLOGY COMEBACK TOUR, Soho Theatre

“Make a noise if you’ve ever watched porn before!” From the start, you can tell that Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour is going to be a weird one. Indeed, the concept of the show itself is a bit strange - Urbano is playing the role of a cancelled comedian, but he is also playing himself, reflecting on what it is like to play the role of another. When playing the cancelled comedian, Urbano tends to take on a deeper voice, only breaking for a few laughs at times which tend to make the bit even funnier.

The first part of Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour consists of Urbano as the cancelled comedian telling joke after joke, making fun of typical comedians by starting with what appears to be a light joke and then having it take a wild turn. One of these jokes includes talking about celebrity sightings in New York City where Urbano saw Scooby and Shaggy from Scooby Doo, Seth Rogan, Bill Cosby and then forgot everything after Cosby. He also has a funny bit about stereotypes and how some of them are actually to, discussing his own Spanish family. And, of course, as one would expect from a cancelled comedian, there are jokes that begin with “My wife . . .”

A little later, Urbano sits down on the stool he’s brought on stage and looks out into audience, saying “Let’s get serious” as the lights dim and a spotlight shines on his face. It is a hilarious bit making fun of comedians who have darker moments in their shows to reflect on serious topics, using the impersonation of a cancelled comedian to discuss things like the #MeToo movement and the Women’s March, in which he claimed that there were all kinds of women there, “from 1s to 10s.” 

One of the main themes of the show is paedophilic jokes. There are many, many jokes about the subject, which Urbano himself comments on, reading out a comment that someone made about the show - “It wasn’t the jokes themselves - it was the sheer amount of them.” One was when he was complaining about how everyone has to be politically correct so he says “Kids these days are soft . . . So soft . . .” leading to a groan from the audience. 

But, after the jokes about paedophilia, Urbano fully breaks out of his cancelled comedian impersonation and begins to speak to the audience as himself, reflecting on what it is like to be performing those jokes in front of audiences. He discusses a range of audience reactions, including one where a woman said her partner, who is actually on a sex offender registry, loved the show, leading Urbano to ask, “What did it mean that an actual sex offender saw my show and liked it?” He claims that in his comedy circles he is known as “THE Paedophile Comedian,” and he really doesn’t know how to feel about it (would you?). It is an interesting concept to think about, and we are left with a few more questions than answers. 

Ultimately, Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour is an interesting show that is half a satirical impersonation of cancelled comedians and half a introspective on taking on the impersonation itself. Urbano does a fantastic job of blending the two “characters” into one cohesive show that is both vulgar and hilarious. I look forward to seeing more from Urbano, but hopefully a few less paedophilia jokes!

Martin Urbano: Apology Comeback Tour runs until 20 January at Soho Theatre

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