JON RONSON’S PSYCHOPATH NIGHT | LIVE REVIEW
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 16 Nov
Welsh journalist and best-selling author Jon Ronson has pretty much conquered all domains of the media. He has previously presented his societal discoveries in podcasts, documentaries and film, not to mention a number of successful books including The Men Who Stare At Goats, Frank, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed. Ronson is now bringing his tales and events that lead to best seller The Psychopath Test to live audiences, with his show Jon Ronson’s Psychopath Nights.
It’s the last night of the tour; Ronson enters the stage holding a bottle of lager and casually walks to the microphone to introduce himself. Even his opening word ‘hello’ generates giggles from the audience. He begins by recounting the time he accidentally mimicked a sexual gesture to a young woman in a restaurant, and how his internal reaction to this mortifying event proves he is not a psychopath. Setting a relaxed tone for the rest of the evening, this opening anecdote sums up Ronson’s informal style of delivery perfectly. Equipped with quick wit and an endearing openness, Ronson always ensures he gets a laugh from the audience, before making his point on what are rather serious topics.
The subject matter covered over the next two hours is rather varied. Bigamy, schizophrenia and bespoke pornography are all touched upon, with the audience offered insight into the lives of those caught up in the array of topics. Ronson’s charm and enthusiasm (although accompanied with some tedious links) are relied upon to bring this broad range of topics together, to deliver an overall message encouraging curiosity in this complex and intriguing world.
As well as Ronson’s monologues, the audience is also treated to audio clips and archived footage throughout the evening, giving further insight into Ronson’s findings. However, the most compelling stories from the night come from special guests Mary Turner Thomson and Eleanor Longden. Their contrasting stories were equally captivating and fascinating, bringing different lights on their experiences with diagnosis.
Tonight offers an exciting overview of the subjects that have clearly engrossed Ronson himself. However, instead of delivering his discoveries in their entirety, his discussions are more like little appetizers of the topics, encouraging the audience to reach for the books, documentaries and podcasts, to delve deeper into the worlds explored for themselves.
words ELIZABETH SZYMCZAK