Dan Antopolski - Turn of the Century

Last year, Dan Antopolski won the coveted accolade of ‘Best Joke’ at the Fringe ('hedgehogs: why can't they just share the hedge?') and he could easily be a contender again this year with any one of his pithy one-liners, which he intersperses with wry anecdotes that reveal his mildly subversive view of the world. In his distinctively laid-back style of delivery, he tosses out inspired joke after joke, occasionally throwing in a self-deprecating grimace after a particularly terrible pun or off-colour comment, which only adds to the audience’s hilarity.He tells us the show will be like life: fun for a bit, and then it’s all about family. Family does feature heavily, but his anecdotes about his young daughters and life as a dad are just as much fun as the rest of his set, especially his inspired revelation of the dark undercurrent of the Maisy Mouse books. Other highlights include a breakdown of the genetic makeup of his family tree, an innovative redesign for the CAT scan machine, and a tragic song about a doomed goldfish. The climax – a rap about the benefits of owning a laser – is as brilliant as it is completely daft. Both silly and strangely sophisticated, Antopolski’s humour – and worldview – is totally unique and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable, if eccentric show.