Adam Kay used to be a doctor and he wants to tell us all about it. Following his sell-out show last year he is back for two weeks only to reprise
Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.
Kay is a stand-up and musician, but this is an hour of very specific jokes and stories. Every story is taken from his time working as a doctor, and they are all completely true. There are a lot of doctors in the audience and Kay refers to the ones he engages with during the show; within his songs and stories. The songs are parodies of other songs referring to any and all medical problems; nothing is out of bounds. And I mean nothing.
The songs work best when the punchline drops and we move on to the next; something Kay does every well. The shorter and snappier the gag is the funnier it seems to be. The audience participation is at just the right level and he milks it for all its worth. He perhaps lacks some showmanship with his playing, but the content is topnotch.
It is the diary entries from Kay’s time as a doctor that really glue the show together. They are ridiculous and entirely believable at the same time. Some of them are hilarious, and some heartbreaking. Never has there been such honesty about the health service, and especially the hours that junior doctors work. Kay has a way with words that is hilarious and passionate. Every single word is meant. It is clear he cares deeply about his subject matter and this is what sticks in the mind. A funny, genuine and touching hour of comedy. Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.
