Mancunian comedian Josh Jones promised an evening of "just jokes and you don't have to think" during his performance at The Stand in Glasgow. However, the reality of the show fell significantly short of delivering even on that modest premise, resulting in a meandering and disappointingly thin hour of comedy.
A Formless Meander Through Personal Anecdotes
The 32-year-old's set lacked a coherent structure, instead unfolding as a seemingly random stroll through episodes of his life. Jones touched on his family background, his experience as a contestant on ITV's Dancing On Ice, and the social transition from a challenging Manchester upbringing to the more affluent edges of Cheshire, a move he attributes to a new relationship.
Within this personal narrative, a few moments managed to shine. A routine about the clash between his affectionate "hugger" boyfriend and his own decidedly non-tactile father generated genuine amusement. Later, a clever gag analysing the differing postcoital perspectives of the "bummer" versus the "bummee" demonstrated a flash of the sharper comedic craft that was largely absent elsewhere.
Jokes That Fail to Land and Problematic Digressions
Too often, however, the material felt underdeveloped. Anecdotes, such as being propositioned by a woman in Cancún, were presented as jokes but lacked a punchline, coming across merely as vaguely amusing things that had happened to him. A much-teased "nonce" joke was built up as transgressive but ultimately fizzled out, offering a setup without a satisfying payoff.
The show took a more concerning turn with an ill-judged digression into the history of the slave trade. The segment displayed a glaring ignorance of local context, incorrectly suggesting Glasgow was free from colonial complicity, and the attempted humorous payoff was profoundly underwhelming, adding nothing of value to the set.
An Audience Unfairly Labelled
Concluding in under an hour, the performance was, by the comedian's own apparent admission, not a success. Jones protested to the Glasgow crowd that they had been the most "tepid" audience of his tour and mused about how little a Guardian critic would enjoy it. This assessment was wide of the mark.
The issue was not the audience's response but the vanishingly insubstantial material they were presented with. Lacking in craft, structure, and consistent quality gags, the set offered slim pickings. Far from being tepid, the audience demonstrated discernment in their reaction to a show that provided little to be enthusiastic about.
Josh Jones performed at The Stand, Glasgow. His tour continues, with a date at the Monkey Barrel in Edinburgh on 4 December, and runs through to April.
