Jon Richardson: Old Man. I went to see this a couple of weeks ago and will say now it’s the funniest show I’ve seen for a long time. I think, mainly, because I found him so relatable. It wasn’t so much about him being old before his time, though; more about his own anxieties, his insecurities, his grumpiness, and his tendency to overthink.
His style is very chit chat and doesn’t feel scripted whatsoever, which, along side his comedy, is a talent in itself. The stories flow naturally, and you get whisked away on tangents about petrol station Pot Noodles whilst making sure young girls get home safe after his show, forgetting the point of the story is why a gentleman on Twitter thinks Jon is less funny than Eastern European rapists.
He demonstrates his need to be liked, and how he can get invested emotionally in people he’s never met by reading out a Tweet from a member of the audience from some months back. Going deeper than that, he gives the audience member’s plus one the same treatment. Needless to say, myself and, I can only assume, a large number of the near sell out crowd took to our phones during the interval to let him know what we thought so far via Twitter.
The cardiganed comedian really was a delight to watch. There were moments where I felt a little deflated because I wondered how it could get any funnier than the last joke, but he didn’t disappoint. An amazing impressionist, and, as I said before, a very relatable observational humour. From the difference in men and women when we pee, comparing childbirth to getting people out of the back of a car, to my most favourite bit…the correct way to load a dishwasher.
Jon’s not an Old Man. He’s six months older than me. He is a very funny man, though.
Review by Johnny Banks
