Ruby Wax and friends tackle the mind and the human condition

The latest show How to be Human tackles the thorny conundrum of the human condition, with a little help from a Buddhist monk and a neuroscientist.

The first half of the evening, in which she Waxed lyrical about topics such as evolution, the brain, and tribes, wasn’t quite as sharp you’d expect, and suffered from some less than razor-sharp material.

However, the second half, a discussion with the aforementioned monk and noggin scientist, was a sparkier affair and the comic was far funnier and at her quick-witted best.

Since taking a backseat from showbusiness (“I left the party before it left me”) she’s been an active mental health campaigner and awarded an OBE for her efforts. She’s also gained a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford, so she certainly knows her onions..

She has a nice chemistry with Gelong Thubten, the Buddhist monk, who radiated gentle wisdom and kindness throughout, and the charming and eloquent neuroscientist Ash Ranpura.

Together, they made some very interesting neurological and psychological points, seemingly concluding that we need to be less hard on ourselves and others, because we are all fairly neurotic and confused, but have the ability to forgive.

By Steve Holloway