Garrett Millerick: Just Trying to Help at the Soho Theatre

Garrett Millerick delivers a searing and timely investigation into the unintended consequences of doing our best, the mayhem that ensues when people try to help.

A blisteringly funny and cathartic appeal for calm, from one of the least calm people in the country.

Just Trying to Help is sensible answers to stupid questions.

Firm opinions lightly held. Another hour of no-holds-barred stand up for people who like to keep things simple.

Delivered by one of the most consistently interesting acts in comedy with a whole new set of conundrums to try to sort out.

Coming from an Irish immigrant family and growing up in the 1980s, religion was a very important part of life.

Garrett was baptised, confirmed, served as an altar boy and spent some time as a eucharistic minister.

His mother had suspected that his commanding gift of oratory, evident from a young age, might lead him to the pulpit.

But sometime around his late teens, realising that there was probably more to life than blindly following endless petty rules prescribed by hypocrites, he gave it all up and walked away into an adult life as a Godless heathen.

Having been locked indoors, once again following rules prescribed by hypocrites, but with a bit of time to think, Garrett has found himself missing the warm fuzzy embrace of certainty offered by religion.

The last few years have offered him a re-baptism of sorts, the comfort in following the rules, the joy of condemning those who didn’t, the inner peace of knowing your place and surrendering to a higher power.

But he needs a new team, a new religion for a new age. The world seems to be full of people with the answers, and their certainty is pretty alluring.

We don’t have to settle for boring old dogmas like Catholicism.

The modern zealot is spoilt for choice, from Greta to Elon Musk, Q-Anon to Caitlin Moran… it’s time to fire up Twitter, pick a prophet and engage in the new reformation.

Just Trying to Help is the hilarious conclusion to Garrett’s Fatherhood trilogy that began with his 2018 breakout show Sunflower and continued with 2019s Smile.

The show runs from November 14-16 at Soho Theatre.

Following their sell-out Edinburgh Festival run, the award-winning comedy true crime podcast takes to the road for its first full tour, from September this year.

Tickets: Garrett Millerick: Just Trying to Help – Soho Theatre

 

Picture: Garrett Millerick Picture: Ed Moore