Impracticle Jokes is Charlie Pickering’s story of why he loves his dad and involves the journey of how far two men went to try and win a war that spanned years. Near death experiences could not even deter Charlie’s dad, Ron and best mate Richard from keeping the upper hand in an ongoing volley of large-scale practical jokes.
I can’t remember who, if anybody for that matter, eventually won the war, but that is not the point of the show. You’ll most likely find yourself, as I did, taking mental notes in preparation for the next time somebody is foolish enough to try and have a laugh at the expense of your own dignity.
Charlie starts off with some unrelated stand up and occasionally veers off the theme, but not to the detriment of the show. It actually creates a greater sense of anticipation about what ingenious form of revenge is to be served up next.
“Impractical Jokes” is full of plaster cast, eye patch, and (almost) accidental genocide related humour that provides non-stop laughs. This show is engrossing from the word go when Charlie reads out the list of his favourite wars. He is a charismatic comedian who effectively brings characters to life on stage through his storytelling and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. He also isn’t afraid to try out a few different things in his show – such as trialling a group remedy to numb-bum.
Charlie Pickering with be performing Tuesday to Sunday until the 29th April. For details check out the comedy festival website