Controversial comedian Russell Brand is bringing his Messiah Complex World Tour to the Ipswich Regent this October, we can reveal today.

Born and raised in Grays, Essex, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Arthur actor, author and TV and radio presenter’s previous stand-up shows have toured to rave reviews.

“Russell is a firm favourite with Regent audiences. He last performed in Ipswich in January 2009 and instantly sold out,” said Bryony Rudkin, Ipswich Borough Council’s culture portfolio-holder.

“His profile is even higher now so we’re expecting a big demand for tickets.”

His first ever world stand-up tour, keeping in line with Brand’s comedic style it will be a dissection of various social and religious figures and the reality of their lives through comparisons of each other.

Messiah Complex is a mental disorder where you think you might be the messiah. Did Jesus have it? What about Che Guevara, Gandhi, Malcolm X and Hitler? All these men have shaped people’s lives and influenced the way we think.

Their images are used to represent ideas which often do not relate to them at all. Would Gandhi be into Apple? Would Che Guevara endorse Madonna? Would Jesus be into Christianity? All great people are flawed, it argues. All of us, flawed people are capable of greatness and for every identifiable icon there is an anonymous mob of unrecognized bods doing all the admin and heavy lifting.

This show looks at the importance of heroes in this age of atheistic disposability. Plus there’s sex. Obviously.

“I am going to tour The World (our one, Earth) with Messiah Complex, causing bother and excitement and offering opinions that have not been either solicited or thought through,” says Brand.

“Of course I’ll be in English speaking countries but also Scandinavia, Russia, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine; anywhere that will have me to be honest and that are relaxed about free speech.

“As well as theaters I will be appearing in prisons, drug rehabs, social network HQs, universities, nationalist organisations, Mosques, foreclosed houses, protest sites, Synagogues and in people’s private homes. I dedicate this Messiah Complex tour to the four men that are it’s subject, Che Guevara, Gandhi, Malcolm X and Jesus- I know this is what they would have wanted.”

Tickets for the show on Monday, October 21, were released to subscribers of the Regent’s free ticket alert mailing list yesterday.

Any remaining tickets will go on general sale this Saturday, June 8, by visiting www.ipswichregent.com or calling the box office on 01473 433100 from 9am-5.30pm.

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