On the couch with political satirist John Crace at Brighton’s Komedia

PREVIEW: John Crace: What the hell just happened? – Komedia, Brighton

Sunday 18 October

Journalist, author and satirist John Crace comes to Brighton on Sunday 18 October as part of the Brighton Dome Comedy Festival, which this year runs in partnership with Komedia.

A one-time heroin addict who has written candidly about addiction and mental health issues, Crace has been getting alternative kicks from political sketch writing for The Guardian for more than a decade now. Arguably that’s healthier than heroin – though only arguably, because British politics too can take its toll.

According to Crace, politics in this country is “bonkers” and we all need a good dose of therapy to get us through the psychodrama we have been subjected to.

He should know. He’s had a ringside seat at all the main events of British politics over the past 10 years, from the Scottish referendum and Brexit, through Covid and partygate, to the Labour Government’s daily rush through several news cycles we are now experiencing. Crace’s stint at political sketch writing has taken in not an acceptable two or three, or even a remarkable four or five, but a somewhat embarrassing seven (count them!) prime ministers.

So for this new show, What the hell just happened?, Crace invites us to join him on the therapist’s couch to come to terms with all this madness.

Though not a comedian as such, Crace’s acerbic and often merciless writing style is among the best in political satire today. As well as the day-job, he is a prolific author having written more than a dozen books. These mostly continue his political satire in long-form, but he also writes on his favourite football club (Tottenham) and produces parodies of Shakespeare.