After the disappointment of Jack Whitehall’s recent arena juggernaut, John Kearns has restored my faith in comedy. His show Double Take and Fade Away is everything that Whitehall’s show is not. Distinctive, thought-provoking and steering stand-up into rarely explored waters.
If you are not interested in humour with a philosophical garnish then Kearns may not be for you. But alongside his niche absurdist flights of fancy about astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Michelangelo this oddball with wonky false teeth and a tonsured wig also delivers plenty of relatable laughs.
From the moment he opens with a strangled version of Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’ it is clear that this is not comedy-by-numbers. There is a poetic beauty as he muses on Nigella Lawson’s recipes or Dad’s Army.
Elsewhere he combines an endearing sense of wonder with a celebration of the banal. One moment he is singing the praises of Leonardo Da Vinci, the next he is mocking him, noting that drawing helicopters is not the same as building them. At one point he talks dreamily of acquiring a bespoke suit. But when it comes to comedy Kearns is conclusive proof that you do not need a tuxedo to be smart.
Until December 7 (0207 478 0100, sohotheatre.com)
