Review: JOE KENT-WALTERS IS FRANKIE MONROE: LIVE!!!, Soho Theatre
Kent-Walters has created a character for the ages
“Leave your troubles at the door and your trousers on the floor”
Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: LIVE!!! begins in quite the spooky manner, with Kent-Walters slowly making his way around the stage, shrouded in darkness, creepily whispering, “Here comes Frankie . . .” The show, directed by Jonathan Oldfield, brings audience members into The Misty Moon, a working men’s club in Rotherham that also just happens to double as a portal to hell. Frankie Monroe is the host of this club, having spent the past 27 years frozen in time in order to stay away from the changes of modernity.
But how exactly did Frankie Monroe end up here? Don’t worry, you’ll find out, with Frankie reading from his autobiography, telling the audience about an unseen force known as “The Committee” that made a deal with Frankie - he gets to keep the club the same for 27 years and, at the end of years, they’ll come to take it back, along with his balls. Quite the deal to strike.
Somehow, Kent-Walters has managed to create a character that is both horrifying yet sweet, someone who will have you groaning at a terrible joke at one point and then fearing for his life as a mysterious entity drags him to Hell the next. One finds themselves pitying the man whose style of life no longer fits with the times, unsure if he is descending into madness or if he has been at this point all along. It reaches the point where some may begin fearing for Kent-Walters’s own mental health, which the comedian has anticipated, breaking character and telling the audience, “Before we do the hour, I’m a well man.”
Warning - there is a lot of audience participation, and no one is safe. Not even your wallet is safe if you’re sitting in the front! One audience member has the opportunity to join “Frankie’s Crime Club” and another plays strange games involving scampi fries and rigged cups in an attempt win their wallet back (I told you wallets weren’t safe!).
Along with the MC, there are several special guests who make appearances throughout the hour, including Frankie’s nephew, Brandy, who sings a song with “facts” about one of the audience members and does observational comedy, Mucky Little Pup, a truly messed-up puppet of a dog that imitates the voices of audience members and Billy Wonder, a Johnny Cash tribute act who performs a truly incredible song, “Little Long Time.”
Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: LIVE!!! is a fantastic hour of character comedy. Kent-Walters has created a character for the ages - just don’t try to touch his special trowel! Without going into any spoilers, as it truly must be seen to be believed, the ending is a spectacular piece of work.
Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: LIVE!!! runs until 1 February 2025 at Soho Theatre.
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