Richard Herring - Hitler Moustache [DVD] [2010]

I went to see Stewart Lee and Richard Herring in Derby in the late 90's. This was on the back of their television programme This Morning With Richard Not Judy. The only real memory I have of the gig was that Richard had somehow acquired free tickets for a film called The Castle at the local cinema, for anyone in the crowd that wanted one. The show was hilarious and I thought they'd both go on to pack out stadiums. I forget about them for about 10 years. Following Stewart's TV programme, I was pleased to discover a back catalogue of his material existed on DVD (which are all excellent). Richard seemingly hadn't had anything committed to DVD, however with a bit of searching I found he had in fact done plenty independently released, all of which I purchased. Hitler Moustache is his first mainstream release.

There aren't enough superlatives that I can throw at this, and his previous releases, Someone Likes Yoghurt, Menage A Un, The Headmaster's Son and Oh **** I'm 40. Richard's lack of commercial releases and therefore mainstream success is perhaps epitomised by Hitler Moustache. The subject matter is obviously going to court contraversy and although it is quite clear what all of the points are he is conveying, I still wouldn't take it to my local Ethnicity and Diversity Board and say, Hey everyone, take this home and watch it, it's hilarious! Just for fear that someone wouldn't get it. Stewart Lee hit the nail on the head in his book, saying Richard has mad impulses to say the worst possible thing in any situation, and from somehow lacking the self-censorship facility that prevents most of us from acting on them.

As in his other DVD's, some of the 'Cut Out/Second Version' ad libbing stuff is equally as funny as the main material and well worth watching. I look forward to Richard's tour of his new material next year. I'll definately be in attendance. I might even heckle for the first time ever, just to see the consequences... erm, you idiot, Herring.

I went to see this show at the Edinburgh Stand back in March '10 and it was probably his finest work at the time. Filled with lots of hilarious anecdotes of what happens when wearing such a nose doormat. I brought two of my friends along for company who had never heard of him, and they left saying it was the best show they had ever seen, [aside] it probably wasn't. nyum nyum nyum *****

In this live show Richard Herring explores what it was like to grow a toothbrush moustache in order to claim the iconic lip fuzz back from Hitler in the name of comedy. It's a moustache deemed as unacceptable because of the connotations with Hitler, Chaplin had it first and was the most famous man in the world during the 1920s yet it is never referred to as the "Chaplin `tache". It is, as Herring points out; The worse thing Hitler ever did.

It might seem a blasé thing to say but Herring isn't there (solely) to offend, he makes a surprisingly striking point, as well as the moustache, we have also lost the name Adolf and the once peaceful swastika to Hitler. He still owns them despite being defeated decades ago, he still clings on to them, the association is as strong now as it was during the blitz - freeing them from the Fuhrer's cultural grip represents the ultimate victory!

This is more than just a daft stunt to get laughs, but Herring does point out that, that is large part of it all! By bringing up the subject of Hitler it becomes a great way to explore Fascism, and by explore I mean tear it to pieces and expose it for the hateful evil that it is. He pokes fun at right wing views, initially by twisting the usual arguments that racists use in a way that reveals how ridiculous they are ("I've actually got a friend who's a woman so I can't be sexist"). By explaining how racists are better people than liberals because they fail to see the succinct differences between nations he mocks them and ridicules racism. It's great to see a comedian not scared to inject their political views into their routine, his liberal outlook is used to savage the narrow minded and instead of feeling like a lecture it is genuinely funny.

Other reviewers have pointed out that the second half of the show feels somehow different to the initial part. It is certainly more serious in tone and more ruthless in its criticism of right wing prejudice. It's a heavy satire on modern politics and the apathy which enables fringe parties such as the BNP to win seats in elections. Even though there is a lot of political content it doesn't lose the cheeky comedy edge which Richard Herring makes look so effortless. He dissects a BNP election leaflet and points out the mistakes and embarrassingly obvious attempts to ally themselves with already established icons and groups, it's a routine which is supremely effective at rendering the leaflet a piece of junk, he encourages us to laugh at them in order to make sure they aren't taken seriously.

It's difficult to not like Richard Herring (unless you're a Nazi, die-hard Christian, or Carol Thatcher). He is an intelligent man who, like most blokes, hasn't quite grown up yet. If he were an idiotic comedian after cheap laughs then this would be an offensive disaster, but he's an articulate guy who isn't scared to hide the childish side all men have. Richard Herring doesn't simply try to offend, and even when he does say something controversial it's for a reason - for instance, a joke about Michael Jackson is followed by a humourous and touching diatribe about the effects of fame on a little boy who wasn't ready for it.

This is filmed on a small stage with the audience only feet away. The small audience helps to create a cosy atmosphere which means that the delivery isn't lost into a cavernous theatre. The DVD package contains quite a lot of extras, some aren't as good as others but overall they give a comprehensive set of bonuses which will give you a few extra laughs. The main performance doesn't rely on gags or quickfire punchlines so it has great re-watch value, this is the best Richard Herring DVD I've seen as the show is well crafted, very funny, and it's clear that he is passionate about the subject matter.

In a nutshell: This isn't a daft story about growing a Hitler Moustache, it's a clever satire with some absolutely brilliant observations on modern politics. There was one part where the pace seemed to drop (a few minutes where he argues with himself) but other than that the level of humour is consistently high and like-minded thinkers will find this thought-provoking. At the end he gives a funny speech about what it is to be British, and it's actually very stirring - like a modern long haired Churchill but less war-hungry and not afraid to admit letching over students in the library while sporting a ...Charlie Chaplin moustache. Five stars for this as it has something to say and it says it with great effect.