Review: TOM ROSENTHAL: WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT’S WHAT I AM, Soho Theatre

“Wish u have a colorful life”

Tom Rosenthal: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am is, essentially, a form of lecture on the 2006 Arctic Monkeys’ debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not - the title of the show is a bit of a hint! But it’s not all about Alex Turner’s stage persona and his music. Rosenthal is using Turner to reflect his own life experiences, riding off the fame of shows like Friday Night Dinner and Plebs.

As someone who went into the show unfamiliar with both Rosenthal and Turner, there was a bit of apprehension on how much of the show would be accessible. This apprehension only grows when Rosenthal greets everyone with a “Shalom!” And encourages audience members to shout out references to the shows he has been in to prevent heckling later on in the performance, which leads to people throwing out seemingly random phrases for about a minute. 

But, luckily, it’s not all show references carrying the show. Rosenthal is a very talented comedian and storyteller, able to explain his life story to those unfamiliar, as well as exploring how it relates to the career of Alex Turner and the Arctic Monkeys. He’s actually dressed like Turner as well, something which one might not pick up on unless they’re familiar with Turner’s style. The way Rosenthal speaks about Turner and the band is widely accessible and one might find themselves wanting to learn more after the show, leading to a Wikipedia deepdive (definitely not speaking from experience!). 

There are plenty of non-Arctic Monkeys segments in the show, with quite a large bit focused on Rosenthal being diagnosed as a legend - sorry, as having autism. Well, it would’ve been Asperberger’s, but, as Rosenthal claims, that’s yet another thing the Nazis have taken from him. Another part of Rosenthal’s identity that he discusses is the concept of identifying as Jewish, which has led to some arguments with fellow comedian David Baddiel, including a particularly interesting reference to Rosenthal’s father in his book, Jews Don’t Count. 

Along with the Arctic Monkeys and personal identity, Rosenthal goes into some questionable territory, starting with a joke about not caring if the entire audience burns to death in a fire - certainly a strong start. While this joke doesn’t get the most positive response, there are later segments about racism and transphobia that are more well-received, especially for a smaller audience. There are also some bits that Rosenthal claims are just in there for him, including an imagined conversation between two audience members and an extended scene in which he practices kissing on his own hand. 

Ultimately, Tom Rosenthal: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am is a fun and surprisingly reflective hour of comedy. Those who are fans of both Rosenthal and the Arctic Monkeys may get a few more jokes out of the show, but there is plenty for those who are new to both.