Joe Hart: Dirty Rotten Apples

• Emma Newlands
• 20 August 2015

This article is from 2015.

Highly likeable ‘surreal gay dandy’ could do with tighter material

‘You’ll learn something if you don’t laugh,’ jokes Joe Hart mid-set, as he explores the role of the apple in everything from the Garden of Eden to surrealism to global technology corporations.

The self-proclaimed ‘nerdy, surreal, gay dandy’ is a highly likeable performer, starting on a strong footing with some good ol’ audience interaction and telling us ‘we’re going to have a good time!’

But what starts out promisingly soon runs the risk of heading the same way as Newton’s apple as the material (genuinely interesting as it sometimes is) proves just too thin on laughs. As for delivery, Eddie Izzard may have influenced an entire generation of stand-ups, but it’s one thing to be inspired by him and another entirely to ape his style all too recognisably.

Granted, it’s Hart’s debut solo show and there are seeds of comic potential here with a strong line in jokes with niche references as punchlines. He’s also been handed a comedy gift in a high-profile footballer namesake, a coincidence he touches on briefly.

All in all, rather than a case of ‘how do you like them apples’, it’s more that tightening up his material would bear better comedy fruit.

Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 2.45pm, £9–10 (£8–£9).