Nick Helm, Touring review - brash comic shows his vulnerable side

Comedy is strange old thing; it’s supposed to be funny ha-ha, but the laughs can often come from a dark place, as evidenced by Nick Helm’s latest show (which I saw at the Arts Depot in London). His mental health has been a backdrop to previous show, but No One Gets Out Alive is his most personal yet as he references the end of an important relationship some years ago, and charts how his television breakthrough proved to be a false dawn in his career.

But before he gets into that, some housekeeping, as Helm rearranges the venue’s seating to fill up a few empty spaces at the front. These commanded to move do so – although those who take their time about it incur his wrath. 

But anyone who has been to a Nick Helm show before knows what to expect; a high-energy show delivered in a no-nonsense, I’m-in-charge style – and anyone who thinks they can outsmart him in the show’s audience interactions is slapped down quickly and wittily.

His shows are a mixture of daft comedy, surreal adventures, personal confession and heavy-metal music – the last of those given full welly here in songs like Drop the Motherfucker (do join in the chorus!), a deliciously unromantic bit of relationship advice for us.

We hear about Helm’s childhood – he clearly comes from a family he loves and who love him – but also the shadows that fell over it; being the fat boy at school, which led to a period of bulimia. Then we hear about his stop-start television career, appearing in the priceless comedy Uncle, but also in dross like Eat Your Heart Out (just what an ex-bulimic needs).

This sounds a bit of a downer and in truth there are sections of the show that aren’t exactly littered with gags, but Helm’s honesty and willingness to show his vulnerability pulls us along. He drops some very strong routines in among the more reflective material too, including a fantastic one about buying a sex toy, and another about going on holiday with his mum, whom he adores but who irritates him in equal part. “She’s at that age where she has an external internal monologue,” he says with a mixture of affection and annoyance.

There are longueurs that might suggest that Helm is winging it, but the solid callbacks suggest otherwise, and the show’s stronger elements are what stick in the memory.  And to send us away on a high note, he ends the evening with the terrific number Down on the Devil.

• Touring until 29 November
• More comedy reviews on theartsdesk