Amidst all the current political debates surrounding nationalism, I was curious as to the sort of person that would put on a show called
The abundance of in-your-face humour that ran throughout this performance was wrapped up appropriately by the grand reveal at the end
Indeed, Hatton’s perception that Britain is a nation of dog lovers led him to reflect on whether this was attributable to what he considered the social awkwardness typical of Brits. Rather than ask each other about how they are feeling and doing, Hatton says that Brits tend to talk through their dogs and imagine what they would say to one another instead.
The animal theme was to continue later in Hatton’s performance. In just one of the many random deviations from a previous sketch, Hatton asks an audience member to tie his hands behind his back. Engaging further with the audience by wryly saying that “We’ve all been here before”, Hatton then asks two audience members to hold pitta bread aloft in the air. So begins the one man of this show giving the angry bird a human voice whilst devouring the pittas.
The unexpected twists and turns of this performance are attributable to the shipping forecast established as a motif at its start. One minute calm, the next frenzied; these are the unrelenting conditions of Hatton’s performance. Whilst entertaining at times, one could not help but wonder how enjoyable being taken from one skit to a vastly different one, really was.
What did work in Hatton’s favour, however, was his emotional awareness. Drawing on his childhood, he revealed a less-than-child-appropriate holiday trip to Calais with his father. Impressed by the booze, dodgy dealings and, most importantly of all, Milka chocolate, Hatton’s happiness is soon destroyed upon returning to school. As fellow classmate Edmund is unimpressed by little Jacob’s ventures in comparison to his forays into Narnia (get the literary reference?), Hatton’s recognition of humans often embellishing reality into more fantastical tales warmed the audience to how attuned he was to the human psyche.
The abundance of in-your-face humour that ran throughout this performance was wrapped up appropriately by the grand reveal at the end. Where Jacob Hatton is concerned, prepare for a shaky show of entertainment for your evening.
