It’s been seven years since comedian Rhod Gilbert was last on the road doing stand-up, and since then there’s been a pandemic and a whole lot happen in his life. His show at Warwick Arts Centre had been postponed three times, so we were ready when he took to the stage for his sell-out performance on a cold Saturday night.

Welshman Gilbert is more known for his tv appearances – ‘The Apprentice, You’re Fired‘ and ‘Work Experience‘ than his stand up, but his show in Cov was not to be missed.

He’s written ‘The Book of John‘ about his experiences with a driver who he calls ‘an enigma’ and says ‘we all know a John’. The type of guy who thinks he knows something about everything, but in reality knows very little about anything (he’s right – we definitely all know a John!).

We’re treated to belly-laughs aplenty, hearing about the driver who thinks frozen prawns are a live product living in the sea off Iceland (according to John they eat other frozen things). We also hear about Gilbert’s experiences with fertility clinics after struggling to conceive, and how he confused the ‘sample room’ with a waiting room – cringe! As with all jokes, it doesn’t exactly fly in the re-telling, but take it from me, he’s a good laugh.

The show is juxtaposed with a tinge of sadness. He’s had a really rough few years, losing his mum to dementia, his dad suffering a heart attack a week later and then dying alone in a care home due to covid, Gilbert suffering a mini stroke and then he and his wife facing infertility issues. You get the real feeling he’s trying to raise as much awareness as he can about some of these issues and that’s partly why he’s chosen to go back on the road. He’s also donating some of the profits from the tour to the dementia and stroke charities close to his heart.

There’s not many people who can take such serious issues and still make you giggle, so hat’s off Mr Gilbert, don’t leave it so long next time.

Looking for something to do in Feb? Check out our what’s on guide here.

Review: Rhod Gilbert at Warwick Arts Centre

You may also like