An unpronounceable volcano almost stopped Miles Jupp from making it to his first show in Wellington, but fortunately, the self-proclaimed “post twat” did manage to make it here from his English home. Jupp wastes not a moment on stage. With ruthless efficiency, he launches straight into a tightly scripted, tightly delivered journey of personal observation.

There is more than a hint of truth in Jupp’s jokes about his accent being hard to warm to and he does play a rather convincing arrogant toff, complaining about the use of the word “okay”. Indeed, Jupp’s rant is the work of a wordsmith and is at times clever.

However, his attempts at more shocking humour (including a long treatise into a recent medical procedure) seem too polite, too polished when presented to an antipodean audience more accustomed to, say, Dai Henwood.

Once you allow yourself be as judgmental as Jupp is about the less fortunate (or more fortunate?) people one has to share this world with – Irish comedians, Stephen Hawking, drunk people having fun on a night bus to Amsterdam on New Year’s Eve, his constantly-urinating newborn son – you do find yourself having a bit of a giggle.

Only in the final, self-deprecating moments of his set, however, does Jupp finally connect with his audience.
_______________________________
For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer