Ben Elton, Duke of York's Theatre review - big subjects, big laughs

Ben Elton loves a scrap. The Motormouth of yesteryear, who made his name attacking Margaret Thatcher and her policies (and being attacked by the right in turn) now wades into so many frothing hot topics – gender politics, assisted dying and the age divide among them – that one has to assume he loves pushing people's buttons. 

For all the shouty delivery though, what he has to say is closely argued and passionate as he posits that, among all the fears about the growth of AI, the dangers of climate change and Donald Trump going back into the White House, what we should fear most is.... human beings' unfailing ability to bugger things up.

He sets things up in Authentic Stupidity by saying that at the age of 65 he really doesn't want to come across as a grumpy old man, but then “while I'm here....” It's a neat trick, giving Elton the chance to have his cake and eat it, and he does it several times in the show. But we know he's making himself the butt of the joke and besides, as a rich man, he's comfortably beyond cancellation so can go all in, however ironically.

The audience – affectionately referred to as balding old gits like himself – lap up much of it, but the lengthy section about assisted dying, a subject the comic feels strongly about, clearly divides the room.

No matter, because the joke count is high, and Elton famously knows when to chuck in a knob gag to keep the audience onside. The surreal story explaining why he's in favour of people checking out early – cue a rather clever line about supermarkets – is added to layer by layer before a payoff that we don't see coming.

So there are some big issues addressed in Authentic Stupidity – his take on cultural appropriation is notably nuanced – but plenty of light relief too, not least the section about how Daniel Craig's James Bond would look if it were true to the actor's age (56); fewer dry martinis and more Viagra. Elton also muses on how we can tell Millennials from Gen Z-ers – it's all in the tattoos, apparently – and why younger people, who will never own property, have taken possession of the high moral ground instead.

In truth the interval in the two-and-a-half-hour set was welcome as Elton's delivery is relentless, but the show is an astonishing feat, both of argument and stamina, and even those he is supposedly criticising would hear the affection in the material.

Elton, who last toured in 2019, signs off by saying: “See you when I'm 70.” Don't leave it till then; go and see a comic who is head and shoulders above most others half his age when it comes to informed, passionate – and very funny – political comedy.

• Touring until 27 February
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