Dom Joly has scoured the globe for the weirdest conspiracy theories in existence. He shares his insights into this anarchic world with the Nottingham Playhouse audience.
Comedian Dom Joly’s’ Trigger Happy Television series redefined how the screen entertained. So, when he travels the world investigating weird conspiracy theories, then comes to town revealing all; you pay attention.
Joly is instantly funny and engaging. Dressed like a Chairman Mau who won the Paul Smith raffle, he regales us with his take on his day in Nottingham, giving his seal of approval to the Kitty Cafe and to our Castle. He then takes us on a hilarious, roller coaster ride through his travels around the world in search of some of the strangest and weirdest conspiracy theories; as presented in his book The Conspiracy Tourist. The laughs starts with the low lying fruit, and the questionable, before we are guffawing away as he launches us into the deep end of dangerous delusions. This is where the real fun begins; Nazi’s on the moon, a hollow earth, a flat earth and the Illuminati; as well as Biden is a robot and reptilian overlords, much to the delight of laughing punters. But it wouldn’t be Dom Joly without the screen, which he uses to tremendous effect. Illustrating how some believe Finland doesn’t exist, how some actually believe Denver Airport was built with tunnels which lead to rich-elite underground survival bunkers, whilst providing homes for aliens, and lizard people.
America, is not so much land of the free, but rather the land of the gullible
There is something that is both enlightening and professorial about his questioning that reassures as well as entertains. His genius is to illustrate a diverse canvas of stupidity that is out there, before he joins the dots to reveal how it is the most recent of screens, the internet, that drives division and conflict, specifically in the USA. Especially in the run up to the imminent US election, underlining that America, is not so much land of the free, but rather the land of the gullible. This division, conflict and gullibility is laid bare in a moment of madness when a member of the audience cries out in rage, mounts the stage to pepper spray Joly and declare him a liar! The realisation that this was scripted, only underlines that for that briefest of moments, this subject terrifies as much as it entertained, which is indeed his point.
As a casualty of the attack, Joly is unable to take part in the planned Q&A with the well-known and highly respected conspiracy theorist, Dr Julian Northcote, an eccentric conservative who, we learn is not allowed to go within half a mile of any school. Taking to the stage, he is left to his own devises and defends the alternate view. From Big Farmer creating killer cows and 60 ft chickens, to how Right Said Fred have their finger on the pulse of what is really happening in the modern world. As he unleashes his heartfelt beliefs, he is finally forcibly removed from the stage by Tech Crew mid Nazi salute. The show ends with an entertaining finale of Joly answering submitted audience questions. These range from being barred from broadcasting footage of Fergie, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, to meeting his hero Robert Smith from the Cure and can the £200 amulet sold via Russell Brand website really protect us from Wi-Fi and other evil energies?
In presenting this symbiotic book launch and thought-provoking comedy tour, Joly manages to entertain and enlighten his audience, whilst drawing attention to the terrifying post-truth world that started when Trumps Media Spokesperson Kellyanne Conway first uttered those two words “Alternative fact”.
Dom Joly: The Conspiracy Tour appeared at Nottingham Playhouse on Saturday 19th of Octoebr 2024.
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