Daniel Kitson – Work in Progress

Venue:

The Albany, Deptford.

Date: 03/08/2024

I had heard of the legendary creature Kitson, and most of these murmurings referred to his legendary comedic status, ultimate cleverness, indifference to the lure of television, and ability to deconstruct the genre* whilst remaining incredibly funny. People, they were right.
The concept of the show (there are many interpretations, but this is the one I choose) revolves largely around an internal monologue, scripted, but delivered mostly by the audience (there were around two hundred and twenty speaking parts). We – the people – are given numbered scripts with our lines highlighted and when our turn comes we project as best we can whatever dialogue we are given (“I’m not making you say this, I’m enabling you to”). In turn, Kitson reacts (acts) as if responding in real time (“Some people only have one word to say” “Really?” “Yep”).
I know, sounds awful doesn’t it? First hand, it was quite the cleverest (and don’t get me wrong – enormously funny) comedy experience I can remember. All of the tropes were explored, laughter effortlessly** generated, and – as a lunchtime show – we were all home in time for tea.
Callbacks, jokes, puns and activewear all employed in pursuit of the best-spent hour and a bit inside a theatre I can remember. At the end of the show he announced that he wasn’t doing it again so we may as well take our scripts home.

This is the best Netflix special you’ll never see.

*”Stand up is like wanking on the bus – it always seems like it’s more fun to do than to watch”
**Mind you, the amount of work that went in to this is scarcely imaginable.

The audience:

Daniel Kitson fans. People who like Stewart Lee.

It made me think..

Once you’ve looked behind the curtain, you can never really sit comfortably in front of it.

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