Josh Sharp: ta-da! at Soho Theatre (Main House) Review
Josh Sharp. Photo: Emilio Madrid
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
American comedian Josh Sharp brings his twice-extended Off-Broadway hit show to London’s Soho Theatre for a February run. Directed by Sam Pinkleton, who won a Tony Award for his direction of Oh, Mary, this one-man show is about mortality, identity and everything in between and includes a 2,000 slide Powerpoint presentation – that’s one slide every 2.1 seconds.
If that sounds like a show that’s going to be very fast-paced, “ta-da!” certainly meets those expectations. From the start, it moves at lightening speed. Sharp moves through his first 269 slides, seemingly without pausing for breath. But this quick-fire delivery doesn’t feel at all rushed or chaotic. It’s brilliantly choreographed and he is rarely even a beat out of sync with the words that are appearing on the screen behind him. Having zipped through introductions (hi, welcome, how are you, wassup?), we learn all about Josh Sharp – child magician, SAT tutor, artist, closeted gay until the age of 22, loving son, survivor of a near death experience, and a big advocate for jerking off!
It’s very funny and honest, unashamedly smutty in places and full of clever wordplay and callbacks. As well as plenty of references that are very specifically a part of American culture and relating to Sharp’s experiences as a gay man, he has also added content to the show that reflects its temporary UK residency – observations on his experiences here, a name check for What’s On Stage, and, of course, highlighting the language difference. Pointing out just how seriously we take the arts over here, theater becomes THEATRE! If one of his references doesn’t resonate with a particular audience member, it’s never a problem. Sharp’s delivery is so engaging and the show’s content so rich, that he’ll have moved on to the next anecdote before you know it.
Contrasting with his laugh-out-loud funny stories, Sharp manages to include more thought-provoking content, still delivered with his trademark wit and flamboyance. He talks about homophobic encounters, about his Dad going viral at an Adele concert, and about his wonderful Mum. This serves to slow the pace down a little, allowing time for these very personal experiences to breathe but without dropping the show’s energy level or ever seeming overly sentimental.
He also very effectively employs some of the trickery he’s learned as Josh Sharp, child magician, adding an extra dimension to the performance.
With a stand-up show, it’s sometimes difficult to know where the influence of its writer/performer ends and that of its director begins. A performance this slick and, well, sharp is clearly the result of a close collaboration between Sharp and his director, Sam Pinkleton. They have created a brilliantly structured show that, despite its packed content and fast pace, stays firmly on the right side of overwhelming. The many many PowerPoint slides that play throughout the show are never distracting, drawing big laughs with their quirky name suggestions, abbreviations (dww = drunk white women!) and spellings.
Josh Sharp has brought his show to, as he calls it, the “sew heux feeahtur” with one clear intention – to SLAY. And in just 75 minutes, he certainly has done. Ta-da! is such an enjoyable and content-rich ride that it would certainly stand up to a second viewing. It’s original, brilliantly structured and delivered by a charismatic and engaging performer at the absolute top of his game. An easy recommendation to make – this show is entertainment at its finest.
Josh Sharp: ta-da! runs at Soho Theatre until 28th February. Find out more and book here.
★★★★★