I HAD A, WELL, HEAVENLY TIME AT JOHN TOTHILL: THIS MUST BE HEAVEN AT SOHO THEATRE

By Sophie Clark | Muck Rack Portfolio ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Tothill’s stage persona of a slightly flirty English teacher, or at least someone who dresses as one, created a delightfully warm and inviting energy in the Soho Theatre downstairs room. That room has an incredible capacity for making the audience feel as if they’re about to discover someone great, and fortunately for us, Tothill was a revelation. 

As he explained to the audience, his material doesn’t always work, especially in aquatic environments. But, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the enemy of a cruise ship audience is my new best friend. 

I was not expecting so much crowd work material upfront, but it became clear very quickly that Tothill is as comfortable with his quips as he is with his written material. And, he is immensely talented at having them appear to be one and the same, making his hour-long show feel much more like you’re catching up with a friend than watching what is actually meticulously material. Tothill may claim that he is no magician, but in that way he very much is. 

He won me over straight away with his material on small talk. As someone who was recently cornered at a party and asked “deep” questions about my ambitions in life, I am grateful to Tothill for being a true man of the people. Let us talk about our favourite crisps, I beg! 

He then spent a meandering but always fruitful hour truly diving into how much he adores life, which frankly, I loved. There is a lot of comedy out there about mental illness and major life struggles, and some people do that incredibly well, but I massively enjoyed being able to bask in Tothill’s love and desire for life and all it brings. He briefly veered into the political, discussing the critical difference between greed (bad) and gluttony (good), but always remained lighthearted with his approach to embracing everything the world has to offer, even when it lands him at the very top of the list at A&E.  

The only note I’d have on the show is that his justified rant against standing ovations resulted in some audience members squatting over their seats when the lights went up, unsure of whether to show Tothill how much they enjoyed his hour or not risk a last-minute callback at their expense. 

I hope to see Tothill perform many more times, hopefully next time at the Margate Crab Museum. 

John Tothill: This Must Be Heaven is running at Soho Theatre until Saturday 7 February.

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Need-Menear