Upon first meeting Kelly Kingham, you’d hardly believe he was a newcomer. 53 years old, charisma to spare and confidence on stage like no other, you’d think this North London comedian had been coming to the Fringe for years. Yet looks can be deceiving; after some audience banter and scathing jibes at his wife, we find out that Kingham has only recently taken up stand-up comedy and
Despite the emotional side of his performance being the one that shines through in the end, once that is stripped down you’ll find yourself a very funny show.
Despite his short time as a comedian, Kingham commands the stage wonderfully. His venue at Just the Tonic is small and intimate, yet Kingham treats it as if it were Pleasance Grand. Because of his boisterous, larger-than-life stage persona, Kingham’s show is at times more comparable to one-man theatre than to stand-up, using every tool in his arsenal to make his audience laugh.
It is because of this theatrical style that Kingham is not only able to create something that is very funny, but also something very personal and brutally honest. He doesn’t use a microphone throughout his performance, instead walking freely around the front of his venue, talking to audience members as if they weren’t audience members at all. It’s a wonderfully refreshing way to do stand-up and his story, which at times is very moving, is all the more powerful for it.
Despite the emotional side of his performance being the one that shines through in the end, once that is stripped down you’ll find yourself a very funny show, told by a very funny man. Whether it’s having a go at audience members for laughing at the darker parts of his journey or talking about his beloved pet Colin, Kingham has his audience in a constant state of laughter, allowing the poignant segments of his set to flourish.
One thing that Kingham constantly has a go at himself for is not taking risks and living life too comfortably. Yet far as I’m concerned, with Inside Out he’s done something very brave indeed and I heartily recommend it.
