Toronto Fringe Review: Andrew Silverwood: Love Thy Neighbour

In Love Thy Neighbour, Andrew Silverwood shares key moments of his family history and his journey to bettering himself (and the many foibles along the way).

Before the venue opened, Silverwood stepped outside to greet us waiting in line. By that point we had been baking in the sun, and he suffered alongside us for a few minutes – in Silverwood’s case, he was in full priestly attire, complete with a bishop’s hat. This relaxed boundary between him and the audience continued over the course of the show, keeping some of the house lights on and finding opportunities to engage us in some light ribbing and involvement.

What felt most impressive is the way Silverwood brought together all his learned lessons about showing up for others – both locally and globally – even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. He has a sarcastic and cynical edge to his humour, but the show has a great deal of heart. His combination of observational humour and storytelling leads to plenty well-crafted jokes interspersed with meaningfully grounded moments.

I found Silverwood to be hilarious and engaging, often forgetting to take notes for this review because I was enjoying myself so much. I felt that he balanced moments of self-righteousness with self-deprecation, and especially appreciated his jokes related to British culture (having grown up in it myself).

Love Thy Neighbour successfully walks the line between irreverence and sincerity, making it well worth checking out.

Love Thy Neighbour is on now until July 12 at the Toronto Fringe. Show times and tickets