Chris Grace’s previous show, Sardines (‘a play about death’) is truly one of the most impressive pieces of solo theatre I think I’ve ever seen, and as such I am contractually obliged to see everything he does. His latest show, ‘88%,’ takes on whether you can get on with people you disagree with, starting with a friend’s casual racism as they walk through Stockholm. He shares the unflappable stage presence of David Elms – born from many years of improv – and gently probes the encounter, wondering if he’d prefer freshly observed discrimination rather than old tropes. ‘Sardines,’ was witty, but this is more of a traditional stand-up hour, and he’s got some brilliant lines (objecting to trans women, but only in the context of ‘them telling me I play Ticket to Ride incorrectly.’) He’s tickled by the ‘Superstore,’ fans he’s been getting in, who are taken by surprise by his adventures in gay saunas and jokes about board games.
His references are excellently specific, from Kumon to David Miliband, and he does some brilliant impressions; nailing British culture jokes as an American gains him extra kudos from the already devoted audience. For a while it seems as if the initial serious encounter that started the show was a jumping off point, but he returns to more heavy fare, including his feelings on AI and the futility of (well-researched) arguments on the internet. He plays with his likeability – something he feels conflicted about as a public figure – with choice confessions, sticking the landing with an expert’s eye for undercutting and tone.
As with Grace’s previous show, it takes years of experience to come across as effortlessly as he does; he’s got a comedic lightness and theatrical sensibility that others would kill for.
Chris Grace: 88% is on at Studio Three at Assembly George Square Studios (1.40pm) until the 31st August