Every so often you come across a performer that is a privilege to behold. Not only is Miles Jupp such a character, but he is generally rather privileged too.
Gentlemen Prefer Brogues is a fine an example of character comedy as you’ll find, and has potential to go far beyond the confines of the Fringe. Jupp is a delightful parody of Britain’s young landed gentry and perfectly portrays all those clichés us riff raff like to poke fun at.
While obviously standing above the hoi polloi, Jupp connects well with the audience as he recounts tales of upper-class dilemmas , dealing with the great unwashed and public school antics. His personality is highly infectious and manages to capture everybody’s attention effortlessly.
Unfortunately things aren’t perfect, as Jupp’s act loses it towards the end. After spending the best part of an hour lording his station in life over the audience, he suddenly changes tact in order to ”get down with the kids”. While this section is as amusing as the rest of his material, it is out of character and jars with the rest of the show, spoiling what would otherwise be a top flight performance.
In all honesty it is but a small quibble, leaving Gentlemen Prefer Brogues as one of the best comedy shows on this year’s bill.
4/5
Richard Biggs
