★★★★

“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.

THEATRESPORTS at the Museum of Comedy

★★★★

“a slapdash and chaotic style which is mostly fun”

Theatresports sees two teams of improvisers battle head-to-head in a series of short form improv games to challenge and flex their creativity and wit. The audience has the power to decide the points, with applause and laughter. It’s a type of improvisation show that’s been around since the ‘70s, but when comedy troupe Kerfuffle do it, the winning team snags a 3D printed Kerfuffle trophy. High stakes.

It’s fun to watch people have fun, and the performers are clearly having as great a time as the audience. In one game a performer must repeatedly interrupt a sketch, forcing the improvisers to come up with ever more outlandish one-liners. In another every question must be met with a question. In a third, the improvisers must incorporate audience one liners into a normal conversation. The games are designed for maximum silliness, and the performers provide that in spades.

The competitive format is slightly flawed, the audience are reluctant to give anyone one point (or really any less than five) so it does mean a fairly friendly competition. But no one cares. The ineffectual scoring system is part of the charm. The night I’m there, the audience manages to gain points themselves, by shouting out particularly funny answers, and ultimately wins the game.

The hosts, Charlie and Viki Jackson, lean into a slapdash and chaotic style which is mostly fun. Sometimes it feels like it can bring down the energy a bit, but the format still races along. The games and sketches are all cut before they grow stale, but always allow enough time for the ridiculousness to run its course.

Much of improv is about sharing and communicating and throughout the night that energy felt natural and not forced. It was so nice to see the more experienced performers and people who were clearly newer to improv perform together, happily sharing the space. There was no showboating, or jostling to be the star, the group felt inclusive and kind, and that was reflected in the generous and engaged audience.

Kerfuffle is an expert troupe, and their shows lean into their joyous, messy comedy, with passion, teamwork and fun.

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:

Christian Dart

Christian Dart

THEATRESPORTS at the Museum of Comedy

★★★★

“a slapdash and chaotic style which is mostly fun”

THEATRESPORTS at the Museum of Comedy

Reviewed on 18th August 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

More Camden Fringe Reviews

Theatresports

Theatresports