Corked is a nostalgic and affectionate romp through Chris Kent’s childhood and formative years. Whether he is playing pranks on his brother or getting into altercations with the benefit fraud police, Kent has the audience right on side. His stories are charming and engaging, and it is hard not to emerge with a smile on your face.
Fresh and original material about an ordinary life observed in an abnormally amusing fashion
Kent is an extremely endearing performer. His best moments come when telling personal anecdotes about his friends and family. When he regales us with stories about taking his dog to be put down with his father or being on the receiving end of banter about the footballer Ryan Giggs from his friends, not only does he draw huge laughs, but he also creates an easy familiarity with the audience.
There are none of the hackneyed Scottish independence/UKIP/inset-topical-gag-here jokes which seem to have wormed their way into every show in the Fringe, like parasites sapping away any semblance of originality. Rather, we get fresh and original material about an ordinary life observed in an abnormally amusing fashion.
This is not an edgy show. But it is also not a show which is trying to be edgy. Kent finds amusement in the everyday, and in doing so has created a show which is fresh and exciting compared with much of that which is on offer at the Fringe. At times, the pace of the material could be faster, but the show is certainly never boring and is well worth the price of a ticket.
