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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Mumbo Jumbo

Sean Hughes

Go Faster Stripe · 2016 · 75 min

Sean Hughes fights a losing battle against middle-aged sanity.

Sean Hughes frames his look at middle age around the concept of “mumbo jumbo,” which he defines as the nonsensical inner voice that overrides logical common sense, whispering that you should touch a lucky lamppost or drink leftover wine for breakfast. Filmed at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff and released in 2016, this special marks the comedian’s transition away from the mainstream television panel shows of his early career toward a more intimate, reflective style of storytelling.

Having recently turned 50, Hughes is highly attuned to the quiet indignities of aging. He laments the “kettle in the garden” moments where he suddenly finds himself standing outside holding an appliance with no memory of how he got there. He contrasts the sexual urgency of youth with the pragmatic concerns of a fifty-something, noting that while a young man wants quick sex against a skip, an older man looks at the same metal bin, worries it looks too cold, and spots a discarded microwave next to it that might still work.

The show meanders through loose, personal stories. He shares anecdotes about trekking to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda, waking up to a dawn serenade from Robert Smith of The Cure, and the sober realization that he will never have a real conversation with his mother. He mixes these stories with brief poems and a three-minute musical about aging, comparing the teen-pop frenzy of the Bay City Rollers with that of One Direction.

While critics at the time noted that the first half of the set felt a bit casual, the show’s energy rises as Hughes balances his dry, dark humor with moments of genuine pathos. It is a relaxed, bittersweet performance that embraces his demographic.

The set list

8 bits

  1. Being serenaded by Robert Smith of The Cure

    Recounting a dawn encounter hanging out with his musical heroes while being too drunk to fully appreciate it.

  2. Trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda

    Putting an amusing narrative spin on holiday travel experiences in Africa.

  3. Conversations with his mother

    Facing the realisation that he will never manage to have a proper, meaningful conversation with his mum.

  4. A three-minute musical about ageing

    Incorporating theatricality into stand-up through a brief musical segment reflecting on getting older.

  5. Pretending to be Australian

    Sharing a playful story of spending an entire day putting on an Australian persona just for the craic.

  6. Applying modern sensibilities to Gospel stories and the Last Supper

    Examining biblical narratives through a contemporary lens while sidestepping obvious comedic tropes.

  7. Addiction and Russell Brand

    Contemplating addictive behaviors by comparing his own relationship with alcohol to Russell Brand moving between drugs, sex, and politics.

  8. Modern dating and Tinder

    Delivering an original take on modern app-based courtship.

How it plays

Tone
Casual, grumbling, playful, and reflective.
On stage
An engaging raconteur and middle-aged grump with razor-sharp wit and a relaxed, conversational delivery.
Pace
Low-key, casual, and subdued; pacing the stage while looking down and idly kicking the microphone cord.
About
ageing and physical decline, common sense versus mumbo jumbo, addiction and alcoholism, family relationships, music and rock culture, politics and modern society

What the critics said

Critics praised Hughes as an engaging raconteur with a razor-sharp wit and amusing anecdotes, though reviews noted the hour had a looser, less focused structure than his previous narrative shows.

In the room: Relatable to an older demographic, though characterized by a subdued energy in partially filled rooms.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: timeout.com, wegottickets.com, chortle.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, stratford-herald.com, derbyshiretimes.co.uk, comedy.co.uk.

Backstory

Reflecting on middle age, health concerns, alcohol dependency, and the internal battle between rationality and eccentricity, characterized as the conflict between common sense and mumbo jumbo.

Details

Released
Runtime
75 min
Where
Go Faster Stripe
Topics
Before
Sean Hughes Is Thirty Somehow (1995)

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