BY JAMES SIMONS AND ERIC KING
Controversial comedian, Russell Brand has announced he will be returning to the stage to test out some fresh material with an unmissable show at the Pavillion theatre on September 24.
Brand recently announced he was going to close his Trews and stay out of political issues, though within a short time expressed his unreserved support for Labor candidate,James Corbyn.
A man of diverse persuasions, Brand has featured in films like ‘Get him to the Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, ”Despicable me” and others. He once hosted Big brother, and thereafter was considered one of the funniest men in Britain.
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However, since those remarkable features, he has sparked controversy by making several provocative statements during his comedy shows, including suggesting that the Islamic extremist IS flag be flown above Buckingham palace- a ridiculous joke even by moderate standards of comedy.
In August, he asked his audience during one of his shows how much they paid for a ticket, and after hearing ”20 pounds”, he made reference to weed and suggested that for another 25pounds, a quarter of weeds could been bought instead. He proceeded to ask, is there still any heroin in Camden? ”We are ok then”
If that wasn’t enough, last month caused a stir when he suggested that the one minute silence for victims of a terrorist attack was rubbish on the stated grounds that the government has caused the problem that led to the terrorists attack in the first place.
Brand, a recovering drug addict, ought to have more sense than to publicly endorse the use of drugs, despite the fact Cannabis is widely used for recreational purposes. Even if one could mount up a defense for him based on the prevalence of cannabis consumption in modern day Britain in many circles, even his staunchest fans must admit that his reference to heroin in the jovial manner made was at best idiotic.
Heroin destroys lives, people steal and rob to support the habit. He himself was hooked n it but fortunate to overcome it. Brand sets a very poor standard for young teenagers and adults who may look up to him and betrays any intelligence he may have, rather assigning his strong intellect to mere show arising from avid reading, perhaps in his adult life. Real intelligence involves proper assessment of your own actions, more especially when you are in the public eye.
Sharon Williams, 31 from Wothing told eye of media” I am very concerned about plans for Brand to come here for a stand up comedy, because I fear he will influence a lot of the young people the wrong way. He tends to shock and have no limits on what he says. I have a 15 year old who at 6 ft 2 thinks he is an adult and may want to attend the show. He is a fan of Brand and I find it very disturbing. Her friend, Lisa Hall said ”I really used to be a fan of Russell Brand, but I changed my mind this year when I heard some of the below the belt comments he made, which he thought were funny. I think his show is for mugs”
Meanwhile, the sentiment was different when we approached a couple of males in the area. Martin Edwards told eye of media ” nah, he is alright, just says things as they really are. People do drugs and stuff so he is just talking about real life”. Asked if he thought it was ok to joke about heroin , Martin said ”that’s a bit wrong, but the man is just having a laugh because he used to be on it, he just needs a slap on the wrist”.
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A well known stand up comedian for over 15 years, Brand has several followers as well as several detractors. We will always have to hold our breath when he appears on stage, if anything, for the unpredictability of his choice of and taste for jokes. He show in Wothing is expected to be a warm up for a subsequent performance across Australia and New Zealand.
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