With Fairbrother’s eclectic mix of weird and wonderful personae, ‘Characters’ may not be overly hilarious but is definitely entertaining. Whether portraying the delicately patronising remarks of a gypsy-hating farmer or relating the over-zealous and unabashed ramblings of a swingers club organiser, Fairbrother certainly possesses a great flare for acting, and even engages the audience well by involving them in his sketches. There was a lot of laughter, yet there was a sense that the audience enjoyed the show for the characterisation itself, rather than for side-splitting humour. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that: it’s a different type of comedy and Fairbrother is a very talented performer in his own right.
Just The Tonic at The Caves, 4 – 28 Aug (not 17), 1.20pm (2.20pm), £6.00 – £8.00, fpp99.
tw rating 3/5
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Sections: by Nina Glencross - ED2011 Comedy Reviews - tw rating 3/5 | Tags: Joe Fairbrother, Just The Tonic
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