★★★★

“a polished hour of comedy”

Christian Dart was bigger than the Christmas turkey as a child, and now this larger than life character has some topics he wants to discuss. We open to a gleeful rendition of how Dart was born “bigger than the Christmas turkey”; a musical bonanza that epitomises the show; silly, sweet and entertaining. Dart fills the hour with music, jokes, and a trip down memory lane peppered with commentary on social media, token representation and Andrew Tate. Some of the social commentary is hit and miss, potentially being too tangential and forgetting to be funny, wrapped too much in its message. Much of the material takes on a Bo Burnham-esq style; slick, wordy and paced, with complicated statements rolling off sequentially at an impressive speed. The composition of the songs is high quality and witty, with references to Britney Spears and Star Wars.

Dart talks us through break ups, a highlight being his rendition of “I Really Hope Your cat Dies”, an unhinged revenge song that bathes the stage in red as the singer becomes increasingly more violent in his descriptions, verging on edgy alternative humour. The show switches gear to an Andrew Tate hate song that delves into criticism of Youtubers’ antics in a segment that feels somewhat niche to online discussions. In a delightful moment, Dart shares a sweet original children’s song he wrote for a heartbroken pupil “I’ll Send a box of Chocolates to Myself” which feels honest and enjoyable. The wide ranging selection of topics and songs add to the larger than life theme that runs through the hour, never failing to be engaging. In a unique segment we learn about Dart’s lengthy time with Stage Coach as a child, featuring a gold mine of home videos to prove the self-deprecating stories. Dart appears at home on stage, with plenty of spontaneity and adept showmanship.

The seamless integration of video and songs present a well rehearsed variety, with some segments leaving us wanting to know more; he dated someone entirely through Animal Crossing…what was that like? Instead the focus turns to queer representation in Disney films. In a climactic finish, we delve into the politics of Disney editing token scenes in various movies in a song that loses its humour somewhat, lost in a slightly confusing premise with a confusing point of view. Dart hits his stride with silly original songs about his life but gets bogged down in commentary that feels very internet focussed. Christian Dart presents a polished hour of comedy that displays an extensive variety of music and life lived; both relatable and ridiculous, the show is sure to amuse.

JAZZ EMU: KNIGHT FEVER at the Soho Theatre

★★★★★

“Jazz Emu is somewhat of a lovable buffoon with a lack of self-awareness that’s endearing rather than infuriating”

It’s the night of the Royal Variety Performance and one of the performers is getting a knighthood (apparently that’s how the Royal Variety works?). Whilst Jazz Emu might be the favourite in some quarters, he is up against the indomitable Kelly Clarkson for the gong. So, Jazz Emu must prove, to the King and his countrymen, through the performance of the perfect song, that he is the one that should be honoured.

But selecting the tune that’s going to secure the title is not an easy decision. For that he needs a little help from his biggest fans, in the basement cloakroom of the Royal Albert Hall.

It is highly probable that the audience at a Jazz Emu gig these days really are a bunch of devoted fans. Since his breakout 2019 run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Jazz Emu (aka Archie Henderson), has both received accolades from the comedy establishment and hit the big time on Tiktok, with more than 250k followers and videos with over 3.5 million views.

It’s clear to see why. Henderson’s combination of surrealist observation, multi-instrumentalism (Electronic Woodwind Instruments, Sax and guitar?!), and commitment to the bit, translate impeccably from small screen to stage. Jazz Emu is somewhat of a lovable buffoon with a lack of self-awareness that’s endearing rather than infuriating. His preoccupation with recognition endearingly reminiscent of David Beckham’s quest for an honour.

The live experience, and this show in particular, takes everything up a notch from previous performances. A live four-piece band of individually talented and accomplished musicians, clothed in blue sequin military jackets reminiscent of Sgt Pepper, play melodic jazz as the audience enter the cabaret style theatre. Sofia Grant on keys gets a moment to show off her smoky vocals, but despite protestations from Jazz Emu that he is a team player, we cannot forget this is his show.

As well as the band, we are also treated to highly produced video and audio content, with Henderson pulling in favours from a whole host of friends to support. A video cameo from fellow musical comedian Will Hislop makes an appearance, and credits cite video direction from Lucy Moss, writer/director of hit musical Six.

If you are looking to sing along to your viral favourites you will be in luck. There are full-out versions of some of his most catchy hits, like ‘My Brothe’, and plenty of nods to other more recent content. But even if you are new to Jazz Emu, or not a follower on social media, the jazz-funk beat of Still Waiting is such an ear worm you’ll be humming it into next week.

Tag Archives: Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

CHRISTIAN DART: BIGGER THAN THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY

★★★★

Museum of Comedy

CHRISTIAN DART: BIGGER THAN THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY at the Museum of Comedy

★★★★

“a polished hour of comedy”

CHRISTIAN DART: BIGGER THAN THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY at the Museum of Comedy

Reviewed on 8th June 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Johanna Dart

CHRISTIAN DART: BIGGER THAN THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY will also be at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THEATRESPORTS | ★★★★ | August 2023

KATE-LOIS ELLIOTT: GENTRIF*CKED | ★★★ | August 2023

ASHLEY BARNHILL: TEXAS TITANIUM | ★★★★ | August 2023

Christian Dart

Christian Dart

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

JAZZ EMU: KNIGHT FEVER

★★★★★

Soho Theatre

JAZZ EMU: KNIGHT FEVER at the Soho Theatre

★★★★★

“Jazz Emu is somewhat of a lovable buffoon with a lack of self-awareness that’s endearing rather than infuriating”