The ‘best one-liner merchant in British comedy’ proves a hit with the South West London crowd.
Described as the ‘best one-liner merchant in British comedy’ by Chortle, Milton Jones certainly lived up to that tag as he took the capacity crowd in the New Wimbledon Theatre on a non-stop journey of laughs.
On the third extension of his highly successful Lion Whisperer Tour, Jones continues to take the UK by storm with his unique brand of surreal, sharp-witted comedy.
The Mock the Week panellist started the evening’s entertainment by showcasing his warm-up acts – his Granddad – which was of course, Jones disguised in a grey wig, long coat and wheeling a shopping cart – and rising star, James Acaster.
This Granddad act immediately got the crowd laughing and as the latecomers streamed in, he took advantage of this in perfect comedic fashion. One joke about a cousin from Streatham was repeated four times but still didn’t get old.
Acaster’s turn came and after a nervous opening, the 26-year-old soon got into his stride. Talking about eye-spy, hiding behind doors and talking trolley coins might not seem like comedy gold but his delivery is vital in providing laughs.
This came to a head when he used an audience member, Phil, to demonstrate how sky-diving with a stranger can be like wearing a ‘disagreeable backpack’.
The anticipation was growing for the main event and when it came, there was no sense of disappointment.
For over an hour, the spiky-haired comic had the crowd in stitches as he mused on subjects including cricket commentators, the mafia’s use of filofaxes and being bullied by pirates.
While some comedy sets look overly rehearsed and lack variety, this is not the case with the 47-year-old’s material as he expertly intertwines a variety of subjects into his material.
It is definitely not a case of quantity over quality, as the Richmond comedian effortlessly delivers both with his seemingly natural comedic ability.
