Britain’s most celebrated medium/psychic Clinton Baptiste, who started out as an extra in Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights has resurrected his otherworldly insights in a new show which is currently touring the UK.
Looking pretty intimidating in his spangles and flamboyant wig, the lothario Alex Lowe portrays Kenny Everett vibes rather than the love god I imagine he imagined himself to be at the sold-out show at Brighton’s Old Market.
However, you’d never be able to tell him that as a master at answering his own questions using his supernatural powers as a buffer, and his expletives often took on a sour tone, becoming the bitchy Baptiste that the die-hard fans in the audience were here to see. With over-the-top and often dubious psychic abilities, his catchphrase, “I’m getting the word… ‘nonce’,” is a comedic highlight that showcases his ineptitude.
What to expect at a Clinton Baptiste show?
Fuelled by cheers and a huge dose of self-confidence, Baptiste was the headliner of a two-hour show, and unlike much of the audience, who were getting merry, I was stone-cold sober – hence some of the jokes landing flat with me. I understand he is a caricature, but the ethos of bringing up Jane MacDonald and other blasts from the past is what keeps many of his die-hard fans coming back!
The show is a rollercoaster of emotions, much like the title suggests and shifts from monologues about supposed paranormal encounters to interactive segments where he “reads” the audience using improvisational skills. A notably funny moment came when a young heckler asked him to wish her mum a happy birthday as she squeezed out of her seat to head to the loo halfway through the set. However, you can tell that the show is well rehearsed with the humour set to the early 2000s when the character was conceived.
Did I giggle? Yes, I did; I can’t say that politically incorrect cabaret is my first choice, but Clinton is charismatic – almost a bit too much like Trump for me though!
Find out more on the tour here.
