I Saw Craig Simons and You Should Too

Last night I went to see James Acaster at the Symphony Hall (the first show of three nights) and instead of James we got Craig Simons his tribute act.

“Started making it, had a breakdown, Bon Appetite”

I have loved comedy my entire life, it’s my favourite thing in the world. From growing up watching Mr Bean, Laurel and Hardy, Would I Lie To You to then discovering stand up shows and starting to enjoy live comedy. I love comedy more than film, TV, books and music. I couldn’t live without it. I always have a sitcom or panel show playing on my TV. Going to see live comedy is my favourite way to spend an evening whether it’s going to see a comedian I love or going to a comedy night and seeing new comedians, (or people trying to be comedians) there’s nothing better than someone making you laugh, laughter is the best medicine after all.

I have an ever growing list of the comedians I’ve seen live and there’s still so many more I need to see.

One of my favourite comedians is James Acaster, earlier in the year I saw Cinemagoers Welcome which showed sections of 3 different shows during the Hecklers Welcome tour. It was great to see in cinemas an absolutely hilarious show, I think it was great to see the audiences from different shows because an audience in a comedy show can change your experience of the show sometimes audiences add something sometimes they don’t.

I had never seen James live before and he was very much at the top of my list of comedians I wanted to see, so when the tour was announced I knew I had to fight to get tickets.

“K and an E and a T and a T E and an R and An ING T and an O and a WN Kettering Town FC

This show was quite different to any show I’ve seen before, I haven’t seen many character shows before (the closest thing I can think of is Nick Mohammed as Mr Swallow), I think character shows are so much fun. Instead of having a comedian support act James chose to have a singer, which makes sense given how much James loves music, it feels very fitting. The supports name is Dayton Grey and let me tell you that man’s voice was on another level, he was incredible. He performed as a tribute act for Luther Vandross which we found out later why James would chose a Tribute act for his support. Dayton had a couple of people on their feet dancing along which James loved. It was such a great way to start the show and not something you ever expect from a comedy show. Obviously you get some people who didn’t enjoy it as you’re expecting to see comedy at a comedy show but I think they’re just miserable, this to me was perfect.

As for James’s show itself Craig came on stage in a very sparkly jacket and announced himself as Craig Simons the No.1 James Acaster tribute act. Craig was a hilarious character we learnt all about how he came about, what James and his agent thinks of Craig, how much of a dump the Symphony Hall is, how hot Ed Gamble is and how James and Craig wrote this show together which then ended in a fight between the two resulting in James Acaster’s death, thank god we still have Craig to take over he did such an amazing job you almost believe it was James himself. It was filled with Disney and Pixar movie references, classic Acaster and all the most famous Acaster quotes. This show was everything you expect a James Acaster show to be and more, I highly recommend you go and see it if there are still tickets available in your area. I hope I get to see him again on whatever his next tour may be.

I loved how his walk off stage song was You’ve got a friend in me, I think it’s safe to say we all have a friend in Craig Simons.

A very clever show from a very clever man.

Laura x