Comedy Review: Ian D Montfort 'Touching The Dead' @ Canal Cafe

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 161 months ago
Comedy Review: Ian D Montfort 'Touching The Dead' @ Canal Cafe

iandmontfort.jpg We expected spoofery. We expected audience participation. What we didn't expect was to be genuinely amazed by the "actually psychic" skills of Ian D Montfort.

Tom Binns' spirit medium from Sunderland is flawlessly observed, from his crocheted jeans to his other worldly eye contact. To noodlingly mysterious music, ceaseless theatrical hand movements conjure up spirit guide Jeoff, a phalanx of dead celebrities and pluck personal information about the audience apparently out of the air.

Rationally, you can work out how he's done his research but the Sunderland Psychic segues bumbling charlatanry into spot on revelations in a way that provokes genuine incredulity. Wrapped up in his hilarious, softly camp and persuasive presence it's hard not to gasp in disbelief when he performs an apparently impossible feat of mind reading, moments after having you hooting over his daft banter with Adolf Hitler and Jesus.

If you can't get into the gig tonight, get a taste of Ian D Montfort's magic in the presence of Michael Jackson in this video.

Tom Binns presents Ian D Montfort "Touching the Dead" tonight at the Canal Cafe Theatre, Delamere Terrace, Little Venice W2 6ND. It's sold out but you might get lucky on the door, £7.

Last Updated 22 October 2010