Roseanne Barr's London gig starts with a video of her in her closet, choosing a frock. The set that follows suggests that, comedically speaking, she no longer has to dress to impress. It is a relaxed show (in contrast to the stiffness of her last UK appearance, two years ago) that generates more warmth than laughter - remarkable given the misanthropy of Barr's material.
But tonight, she's enjoying herself, chuckling before she reaches her punchlines, barely sustaining the illusion that she is half as nasty as she makes out. "I hate my children," she says. They blame her for her absence throughout their childhood; she claims that, if she'd been more involved, they'd be twice as screwed up. Of course, men get it in the neck - and a little lower. On Viagra: "Nobody really wants to fuck an old man - least of all for four goddam hours."
The men-do-this, women-do-that material finds Barr on autopilot. No matter her rudeness, Barr's new-found jollity makes for a paradoxically mild-mannered evening. Her trademark rage surfaces only briefly, when she realises that the loss of the rainforests will affect her chocolate supply: "STOP THE MADNESS!"
Elsewhere, the 70-minute show ranges across American life and Barr's advancing years. I liked her daughter's accusation, reported by Roseanne, that climate change is a form of projection on the part of self-absorbed baby boomers now nearing death. Barr's own one-liners are just as astringent. On the US presidential race: "I just hope the people who fix elections will allow us to have a Democrat this time - for the sake of our democracy." Forget fancy frocks - with this likable, low-key set, Barr slips into something in which she's totally comfortable.
