Sweet Prince

Horatio Gould enters his debut special with a contrarian stance for a twenty-something comic: he is perfectly fine. At a time when stand-up leans heavily on vulnerability and therapy speak, Gould rejects the pressure to confess his struggles, questioning the modern self-care culture that insists everyone must be struggling. Instead, he positions himself as a grumpy beta male who is comfortable with his mediocrity, delivering a structured, joke-dense hour that looks at the changing definitions of masculinity.

Recorded at The George Tavern in East London on May 1, 2024, the special captures Gould as his online profile was rapidly expanding. Known for the Boys Gone Wild podcast and viral sketches parodying modern podcasters, Gould spent much of the preceding year touring this material following a sold-out run at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 48-minute show features some of his most discussed bits, including his perspective on the shift from Gen Z’s fear of being perceived as gay to the fear of being seen as homophobic, and a detailed routine about ISIS. Rather than relying on crowd-pleasing sentimentality, Gould keeps his focus on cynical, slightly misanthropic observations, occasionally contrasting his own passivity with the brazen behavior of his East End cockney father.