THE easily offended should think twice before booking tickets to see Ricky Gervais's Humanity.
Seven years on from his last stand-up tour, age and the LA sunshine have done little to mellow Gervais, who tackles taboo subjects with a familiar glee. Rape, death, terrorism… nut allergies, nothing's off limits, no matter how dark. And as disturbing as it got, the audience at York Barbican was with him.
Gervais has always revelled in the controversial and it's his right - no matter how much criticism he attracts on Twitter - to confront it. "It's my dying wish to explain what freedom of speech is," he says, lamenting the offence people he doesn't know take to his jokes. “Everyone thinks something is an affront to them but I don’t know they exist,” he says. The amplification of uninformed opinion on social media troubles him.
But while Humanity has been promoted as Gervais's angriest ever show, it actually heralds a softer side to the comedian. We must discuss difficult things he says, "You can't spend a day better than laughing at stuff, no matter how bad it is." He recalls the laughter and tears at his mother's funeral as his brother deliberately fed the vicar incorrect information about their mum.
Almost a decade on from his last stand-up travels, life's different for Gervais, a reality he ridicules with tales of flying first class and £20,000 rugs. But despite the scrutiny Gervais faces, and the suggestion his success will mean he's out of touch, Humanity is consistently funny. Although uncomfortable at times, it's considered, skilful stand-up which proves Gervais is still at the top of his game.
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