Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

James Loveridge: Funny Because It's True

 
Charlotte Ivers Review by Charlotte Ivers 5 Published: 12 Aug 2014 Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde Show Dates: 1 Aug 2014-24 Aug 2014

James Loveridge’s Funny Because It’s True is indeed funny and is presumably also true. So far, so good. In a pub basement, audience members overflowing the chairs set out onto the floor and window ledges, Loveridge delivers one of the most amusing shows I have seen this Fringe.

Loveridge is shameless, without the sense that he is playing the shock factor for laughs.

His stories come from his own life, primarily from his childhood and time at university, and he is not afraid to share his most embarrassing experiences for the sake of a laugh. Throughout, there is an endearing undercurrent of affection – for his family, his friends, his girlfriend. This is a man who loves people, delights in their oddities and idiosyncrasies and wants to share this delight.

Loveridge’s timing is exceptional; he knows exactly where in a joke to place the punchline. He often sets up the expectation that he will take the easy route out of a joke, then subverts this expectation to excellent effect. His delivery is charming and affable, and I have rarely seen a comedian so adept at using silence to draw laughs from his crowd.

This undoubtedly the best free show that I have seen at the Fringe. It also drew more laughs than many of the paid shows which I have attended. Loveridge is shameless, without the sense that he is playing the shock factor for laughs. He is sentimental without being mawkish. In all, he is well worth your time.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

Due to an inability to think before he acts, James has lived a somewhat ludicrous life, getting himself into scenarios too ridiculous to seem true but amazingly they are. In his first ever hour long show James plans to share his most hilarious and outlandish stories and make you laugh, whether you believe him or not. 'He had the rest of us in stitches throughout a polished yet ever-evolving act, with asides and quips just as strong his actual jokes' **** (Skinny). **** (EdFringeReview.com). 'Witty self-deprecation and perfect timing' (ThreeWeeks).