Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

At almost every Fringe, an offbeat late-night show captures the imagination of jaded comics to become a cult hit, like The Elvis Dead or Sam Campbell. Mr Chonkers – the charmingly silly creation of American comic John Norris that is advertised as being ‘an important waste of your time’ – is the most likely candidate for that title this year.

Versed in the ways of modern clowning, he arrives at the back of the venue as a faceless, hooded monk, fist-bumping patrons as a Gregorian chant plays. As he takes to the stage, the soundtrack gives way to a silly dance beat and a Freddie Mercury-style call-and-response to get us in the mood.  

For there is some audience interaction in this hour, but so unthreatening that Chonkers hands out a little bell to one punter to use as a safe ‘ting’, to stop proceedings if he ever breaches a boundary. Not that it’s a genuine risk, given that his whole show is steeped in the joyously daft.

Always welcoming, Norris is a great visual performer, looking the part in his Ron Burgundy ’tache and Alpine hat perched preposterously high on his mop of curly hair. He can get a laugh by shooting just the right glance to the audience – and the way he completely transforms his face by crumpling his neck is some sort of sorcery.

With the serious tone of a serious actor, the gentle absurdist explains that he’s here to showcase his various talents to the industry, safe in the knowledge he must be good given that he’s taken ‘100s of classes’. The poetry section is a highlight – how often can you say that? – and there are some beautiful jokes, such as the wonderful twist at the end of his phone call home.

The lion’s share of his showcase is devoted to the theatre section, in which he plays out a scene involving an Italian family dinner in various peculiar styles. The repetition is a huge part of the joke, but many might find the returns diminish each time, as I did. Nor was I convinced the ‘meatball magic’ finale lived up to its tongue-in-cheek hype.

But Norris is an undeniably charismatic oddball, bringing plenty of quirky invention to a show that aims only to delight. Mr Chonkers deserves its cult status.

• Mr Chonkers is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Carnivore) at 11.55pm

Review date: 26 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: PBH's Free Fringe @ Carnivore Edinburgh