Seymour Mace Does Drawring comedy review: Altruistic message with bite
Partially hidden inside a seemingly fanciful hour is a seething set about class and inequity

Seymour Mace Does Drawring does exactly what it promises and plenty more besides. Mace, the veteran outsider comic, does indeed show you some ‘drawrings’ he’s prepared earlier, in part because he’s recently completed a fine-art degree. His pieces include a collection called ‘Things To Do When You’re On Your Own’ and ‘Things To Do When You’re Poor,’ and all show that Mace’s work as an artist is an imaginative and wild extension of his comedy and morals.

What pushes Mace beyond whimsy is a seething anger at the class divide, the dearth of mental-health provision for poor people in Britain, and the dominance of wealthy performers at the Edinburgh Festival itself. Even his most seemingly fanciful drawings have plenty bite. His work featuring two dogs running a chip shop, for example, soon finds Mace veering into a dark story of terminal illness and businesses going under, before veering wildly back into more light-hearted territory.
Falling into uncontrolled rants in between showcasing his work allows Mace to do what he does best: cursing an unfair world with increasing levels of invective. Beneath his bile, the furiously creatives jokes and entertaining drawings is an altruistic message: anyone, no matter the money in their bank account or prior experience, can be a creative person. Like spending an hour with an oddly aggressive art tutor, you may leave Seymour Mace Does Drawring feeling inspired to make some creations of your own.
Seymour Mace Does Drawring, The Stand 2, until 27 August, 1.20pm.