ED2019 2/5 Reviews ED2019 Theatre Reviews

Broken Funnies (Martin Bearne)

By | Published on Thursday 22 August 2019

Martin Bearne explains that ‘Broken Funnies’ is something different to his usual stand-up routines, and it does feel like it’s half sketch show, half theatrical comedy. He starts off with a spiel about theatre, then a Milton Jones-style segment littered with tasteless quips follows. Bearne displays different characters throughout, like the one on a Tinder date, or the one making his therapist laugh, but these will struggle to make you chuckle. Bearne is gratingly boisterous at times and occasionally puerile, so ‘Broken Funnies’ almost verges on embarrassing and feels like a desperate attempt to spice up the comedic landscape. On a more positive note, however: this is a personal story and he can be commended for highlighting the importance of mental health awareness.

Scottish Comedy Festival @ Nightcap, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Kieran Scott]

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