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drinks Monday 4 August 08
Comedy-a-JoJo
Verdict: Dry, edgy cabaret
London - Madame JoJos - 18 November
03
This exciting evening, with an invigorating calibre of comedians is kicked of by charming compère, cheeky MC Matt Holt. He’s a refreshing lad who paces the whole evening well, teasing us with what’s to come (writes Annabelle Joyce). He’s comfortable and amusing, articulate and welcoming - though lacking an occasional spark.
Guitar-plucking Jonny Berliner’s endearing. Slight in stature, he tickles us with his delightful witty Ode To The Tube. It’s a catchy number - which we can all relate to - about miserable commuters. Jonny’s the delightful opening to each of the evening’s three segments.
First comedian’s Adrian Poynton. He’s rather camp and very tall. He’s an energetic performer who provides us with various statistics he finds interesting. He uses the audience to full potential, capturing our attention with futile bits of information. Eg, how we can sell the spare organs in our body for a whopping £225,000. So, according to Adrian, for every homeless person, there’s a 2-bed semi inside. He’s friendly, light and leaves us wanting more.
Dutch Elm Conservatoire are a 5-man character-based sketch group. Sharp, impeccably-timed, they deliver pure visual genius. They’re well-rehearsed timing-wise, and use each other well. It’s a show in itself – that’s definitely worth seeing in full.
The fantastic Rob Rouse closes this section. Wow. A funky guy, cheeky and cocky, he eases from one gag to the next with style and sophistication. His delivery’s fluent and articulate, with a spot-on amount of filth to keep everyone happy. With his rendition of Teenage Dirtbag – dedicated to his gran – he has a packed audience on the floor - with lyrics like, ‘She doesn’t know who I am, cos she’s got Alzheimer's’. Cheap - but classic.
During the night’s intervals, there are cool tunes from DJ Jim Morrison. The JoJo Dancers do short dance numbers. First time, there’s a tribal combat theme. Great choice of music but unfortunately the performance lacks spark and strength of movement. It looks under-rehearsed.
Jonny Berliner opens the second segment, with Stalking, the sinister lyrics belied by his gentle charm. Katherine Jakeways presents her character Sylvia Fox. Sylvia’s come from her final show at the end of Southend Pier – They Look Like Legends. Hence there are impersonations of Tina Turner, Maggie Thatcher, Dot Cotton and Cilla Black – all to a delightful but rather predicable story.
Jonny Berliner opens the night’s final section, with a witty number dedicated to his special friend – My Lobster And Me (He’s One Hell Of A Crustacean). Oram & Meeten present a slap-stick furore. It’s a wonderful double-act, with a slight visual resemblance to Smith & Jones. Their physically awkward characters are totally endearing. What’s In The Bag, and the silent dance routine Drug Addict, have the audience crying with laughter. It’s silly and fun – and edgy. Superb.
Last, it’s Brendon Burns - the skinhead, beer-drinking angry Aussie. This is not everyone’s bag – a few people left. He’s loud - very loud – dark and dry. He’s crude, gross and pushes every boundary on just about every taboo. But you come away thinking about this performer – and talking about him. You feel you shouldn’t be laughing - which as Brendon says is ridiculous – it’s comedy. This comic is clever, though disgusting – again he leaves a debate in your mind. Is it comedy - or is he simply insulting? Either way, you have to applaud this bold and passionate artiste.
END
Annabelle Joyce
reviewed Tuesday 18 November 03 / Madame JoJos
(c) Annabelle Joyce 2003
FRINGE REPORT
www.fringereport.com
Comedy-a-JoJo
Verdict: The alarming Mr Burns
London - Madame JoJos - 18 November
03
Comedy A JoJo is a fortnightly comedy night at the Soho venue Madame JoJos. It's programmed by Rohan Acharya.
Matt Holt is tonight's MC. He's genial, ebullient and interactive, stuck for a word only in the aftermath of the night's finale, Brendon Burns - and who wouldn't be (see below)? (For previous Fringe Report reviews of this performer please use Search Box).
The remarkable Jonny Berliner delivers three songs. His gorgeous voice sounds like chocolate might; it's rich and delicious. It's husky, bluesy, and musical. Tonight he accompanies himself on amplified 6-string acoustic guitar. Each number showcases Jonny Berliner's gifted ability with lyric and subtle jazz notation and their interraction. The opener's about commuting on the tube. The closer's about his relationship with a lobster.
Dutch Elm Conservatoire Stephen Evans, Rufus Jones, Jordan Long, Renton Skinner, Jim Field Smith present three sketches from their inspirational show. (See Review of DEC's full show). Tonight, it's Sweeney Todd, The Magician, and five police officers singing 'Deo - Daylight Come And We Want To Come Home' after losing a suicide talk-down.
Adrian Poynton is a tall chap, which he comments on. He's a master of facts too, and tonight he's taken with the price for which he could auction the unused internal areas of his body. It's a strong set, with a sharp eye for what's genuinely funny. (For previous Fringe Report reviews of this performer please use Search Box).
Sylvia Fox (Katherine Jakeways) The delightful Katherine Jakeways introduces a character from her outstanding show. (See Review of KJ's full show). Sylvia Fox has been at the end of Southend pier over the summer season, perfecting her impersonations of Lady Thatcher and Tina Turner, Cilla Black and Dot Cotton. And wherever Sylvia goes, they come too.
Adam Hills Relaxed and sharp as a knife, Adam Hills isn't afraid to be called Australian (when he chooses). His set's a skilled, cunningly-scripted and sharply-observed look at the world. It's funny, friendly and ruthlessly intelligent from a comic who knows exactly what he's doing.
Rob Rouse was once, he confides, a geography teacher in Sheffield - a bit afraid of the pupils. It's hard to believe as he's extremely tall and well-built. He's also very funny, in a relaxed and inclusive way. He works on the audience with a deceptively friendly approach, that's foiled neatly by his acerbic punch-lines. His twenty-minute set passes fast and enjoyably, a master-class in stand-up.
Oram & Meeten Steve Oram and Tom Meeten deliver some classic sketches, including The Drug Addict, and What's In The Bag? Their witty and original character comedy comes equipped with warmth, but there's an almost frightening edge to it too. Wonderful. (For previous Fringe Report reviews of these performers please use Search Box).
The JoJo Dancers. Charlotte Alberry (choreographer, dancer with light hair), and Elly O'Brien (choreographer, dancer with darker hair) perform two sets. First off's a martial-arts style routine in Thai trousers to Hybrid's Dreaming your Dreams. Anyone disappointed in finding that tonight Madame JoJo's isn't that kind of Soho club, needn't be. Charlotte Alberry and Elly O'Brien come back on without much on, little black skirts and tops to Prince's Get Off. They're joined by hunky James King in a routine of maximum raunch including lots of naughty stuff on chairs. (For previous Fringe Report reviews of these performers please use Search Box).
DJ Jim Morrison plays 5 sets - start, 3 intervals, end. It's HipHop and BigBeat, and inspired. (For previous Fringe Report reviews of this performer please use Search Box).
Brendon Burns. There isn't another person on the comedy circuit anything like Brendon Burns. Listening to him - and there's no option, he can roar unamplified like a lion, and with mic in hand is completely unescapable, even in the lavatory - is often a frightening experience. He's intimidating, and no corner of the room's safe from him. A hectoring, bullying man in his stage persona, he's capable of creating real fear in the room, way beyond simple embarrassment. He exudes a feral cruelty, like a jackal picking over the corpse of something it's just killed for the hell of it. But, you may be wondering, is he funny?
Not very, is one answer. Extremely, is another. Whether he is funny or not, he's compelling. Not for one moment is it possible to take eyes or attention off Brendon Burns, in the same way that a road accident in progress focuses concentration. The barbarity of his attack - the content of the material is apparently irrelevant - is awe-inspiring, in the same way that those pointless acts of savagery by the Americans on Baghdad went with the name 'shock and awe'. The content is not, of course, irrelevant. Brendon Burns's act doesn't run on anger. It runs on carefully graded and scripted material built to a climax (in this case a Down's Syndrome routine), to which anger is applied like petrol.
It may not be comedy at all. It creates laughter. So does death. We laugh for many reasons other than being amused. Brendon Burns delights in progressively alienating the room. Tonight he takes an audience of 100 or so that's earlier been on a high from acts creating feel-good comedy, and systematically destroys the mood. Perhaps it's comedy in reverse. Whatever the classification, it is the most stunning drama. The essence of hissable villains is just that: you can hiss at them. You know they're just actors. With Brendon Burns there are no certainties. He leaves the stage and walks out through the bar still barracking the audience. It's either a skilful act or the man's an unstable powder-keg of unslaked rage. Either way it's ultimate theatre. Shocking, horrifying, and magnificent.
Credits - Comedy: (alpha order): Matt Holt - Compere. Adam Hills. Adrian Poynton. Brendon Burns. (Dutch Elm Conservatoire:) Stephen Evans, Rufus Jones, Jordan Long, Renton Skinner, Jim Field Smith. Jonny Berliner. (Sylvia Fox:) Katherine Jakeways. (Oram & Meeten:) Steve Oram, Tom Meeten. Rob Rouse.
Credits - Dancers (alpha order): The JoJo Dancers / Choreographers - Charlotte Alberry & Elly O'Brien, James King.
Credits - Company: Stage Manager - Nic Watson. Technical Manager - John Charles. Jim Morrison - Decks.
Rohan Acharya, programming and promotion. Company - Underhand (alpha order: Rohan Acharya, James Galea, Matt Holt, Jim Morrison, Mike Smith, Nic Watson).
END
John Park
reviewed Tuesday 18 November 03 / Madame JoJos
Artist and management web sites include (alpha order):
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
