Review by Barrie Morgan

German comedy trooper Paco Erhard is a seasoned traveller, a free thinker and a universal talent. He's sporting a Castroesque cap, in a venue covered in old sheets, construction tools and pallets. It's perfectly set up for some guerrilla comedy but Erhard's professionalism kicks in from the first beat and the comic is in complete control, ensuring a tight, experienced set.

Erhard offers the unpredictable He disapprovingly shouts at latecomers but then admits he, too, is just like the tardy folk, flying in the face of German stereotype. Worst. German. Ever.

As he says, there's tough competition for this title, but he explains this categorisation with aplomb and helps shatter a few misconceptions of Germans in the process. It can’t be too controversial as everything he says is true.

You see, Paco's an individual. He likes to think for himself. He explains his relationship with Germany and his reasons for leaving. He remarks on socio-economic states that most are unaware of and is pleasingly penetrating in his wit and insight. Most of what he is saying is relevant and succinct and all wrapped up in his boyish charm. There's nothing too deep to scare people away, and the set acts more of an overview than a detailed analysis.

There's a section in the show where Erhard deconstructs a controversial joke about a Jew, a German, a Brit and an Arab in a plane. It's an interesting joke to pick apart but he's confident enough in his own abilities as a comic that you never feel he's crossing any lines. The opposite is true, in fact. Erhard has chosen what basically is a racist gag about all four cultures and shown it for what it is, a terrible nonsensical joke.

There are constant laughs and Erhard only misses the mark on a handful of gags, but his conversion rate is, you might be tempted to say, efficient. There's a real international audience, too, with a few Germans in the room who slap their thighs and bellow loudly throughout… proving some stereotypes are much harder to dispel than others.

Review date: 11 Aug 2014
Reviewed by: Barrie Morgan
Reviewed at: PBH Free Fringe @ Bar Bados