Chas Early & Richard Hurst
Bill Hicks: Slight Return
The Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Until Sat 15 March


Bill Hicks is by far the most foul, offensive comedian I have had the misfortune of being exposed to. But he was, and will always remain a genius. A filthy genius. Before his death in 1994, his blasphemous rants and pure hatred for mankind both offended and captivated his fans.

To offer a tribute to such an icon is brave to say the least. For not only was he outrageous and rude, he was also articulate and well researched. As much as his work offends me on levels I didn't even know existed, I have to admit his long-winded, over-zealous rants remain an unrivalled phenomenon. It is important to illiterate this, for to truly do Bill Hicks justice one would need to successfully pull off one of these rants, and sadly, Chas Early didn't quite get there.

'Bill Hicks: Slight Return', collaboratively written by Early and Richard Hurst, introduces to us Hicks (Early), telling us what's been happening since his death. There's an overview of the afterlife followed by his views on current issues, such as the war on terror, drugs, pop culture and the ongoing Bush debacle. There are also some references to his life before death, such as his appearances on The Dave Letterman Show.

Admittedly, it's clever. I imagine Bill Hicks would have indeed had similar views suggested by Early and Hurst, but it was the meaty, loathing, over-worded rant that was I looking for, and for me, the meatiness just wasn't there. The crowd was visibly disappointed, but this could be because they weren't familiar with Bill Hicks' vile form of comedy. The 'Slight Return' drags on, but for die-hard fans, it's a chance to imagine how Hicks must have been live, and for that it may just be worth a look.

Bianca Weiler