REVIEW: Phill Jupitus is a skilled storyteller

Phill Jupitus, comedian, poet, TV stalwart, brought his Juplicity show to Buxton's Pavilion Arts Centre on Saturday.
Phill Jupitus.Phill Jupitus.
Phill Jupitus.

Best known for his regular appearances on the BBC’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks and QI, Jupitus played the first half as his alter-ego, Porky the Poet, drawing on his early career as a performance poet. No longer punk or political, the poems aimed at provoking laughter, usually at his own expense, for example, his miserable experiences at the hands of Madness’ audiences. He delivered haikus and limericks in quick succession, very funny and sometimes verging on scurrilous.

For the second half of the show Jupitus replaced Porky the Poet with more observational humour focusing on his own life. Some of these tales, like his detailed account of drunken consumption of curry, cheese and chips, (he has recently moved to live in Scotland), could have been snappier. More effective, and touching, were his heartfelt recounting of the challenges of being a parent, especially as the father of two girls. (Boys, he assured us, were as easy as keeping cats).

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Affable, engaging, Jupitus is less a stand-up comedian, more an accomplished storyteller. He kept a delighted audience entertained till well after we had expected to be on our way, and woe betide those who he caught yawning!

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