Josh Jones takes us on a journey through things he holds dear, albeit with some twists along the way
McKenzie jackets at the ready – Josh Jones’ new show takes us through things he holds dear, albeit with some twists along the way. Having had somewhat of an epiphany recently about spending life with those who matter, this engaging hour leaves you sharing his excitement about what’s coming next for him.
From his school days, his grandparents, past relationships, his new hobbies and his job, the narrative is very loose, and it felt a wee haphazard at times. Still enjoyable to listen to – it’s like when you’re catching up with an excited friend and they want to tell you everything that’s gone on since you saw them last. It feels very natural and enjoyable to be in Josh’s company, but I felt a bit more structure could have helped some of his call-backs land even better. Whilst acknowledging that the audience tonight were perhaps not his usual demographic, there was a natural rapport and cheeky charm between Josh and the audience.
There are some lovely anecdotes mixed in with the jokes, and lots of visual imagery, and elegant twists to the punchlines. I will be stealing his geographical description for non-binary people (maybe with a Scottish example) – you’ll have to see the show to find out more. However, it’s hard to pick a favourite between the decline of the too-happy ice lolly; Sandy from Grease intimidating his teachers; bread feast following a buffet; or a backhanded compliment at the climbing wall. Such a sprawling array of topics gave us an insight into Josh, but I felt it only scratched the surface at times, and I’d loved to see a deeper dive into a few of these, acknowledging this is a tall order in the constraints of the Fringe.
Josh’s inner happiness shines through – he’s clearly a man who loves what he does and is centering himself in family and a promising relationship. We saw glimpses of Josh’s love of history (cut short in his school days, but reincarnated in his podcast Dead Drama) – I loved those history tie-ins sprinkled into the show, and his teacher’s unorthodox teaching methods, and would really like to hear more of these in the future. I’ll definitely be subscribing to the podcast, and look forward to seeing more to come from Josh.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/josh-jones-put-a-sock-in-it