Jack Tucker: Comedy Standup Hour – Soho Theatre, London

Zach Zucker brings his comedy alter-ego Jack Tucker to the Soho Theatre stage. What did this reviewer make of it? She’s still not sure.

Jack Tucker: Stand Up Comedy Hour

OK, I’m going to start with a big disclaimer, which is that this was not for me.  To the extent that I’m not going to give a score, I’m going to tell you about it and point to where you can read glowing five star reviews from people who loved it.  But first I should probably tell you what I’m talking about.

Jack Tucker is a New York comedian.  But not a good one.  His jokes fall flat.  He can’t keep up with what the liberals want from him.  Speaking of liberal, there are liberal sound effects.  And props including a rubber chicken. It is a fast-paced show which circles around several jokes, if you can keep up with the frequent callbacks, bits of music, and repeat gags.

But Jack Tucker, it turns out, is a clowning performance by Zack Zucker, graduate of the renowned École Philippe Gaulier in France.  What seems haphazard is actually calculated and practiced, although there is a fair bit of improvisation and digging deep into material depending on the audience reaction.

Tucker, or Zucker, is also the MC of Stamptown, an annual Edinburgh hit.  Perhaps that format, interspersed with other performances, might have been more my style.  But although this show was only 80 minutes (Zucker likes to run longer but has been getting in trouble for it), it’s a lot when taken altogether.  Very full on, shall we say.

But that is just me, it would seem.  Tuesdays first press night generated ecstatic reviews like the ones here and here and here.  And the audience when I saw it were definitely enjoying themselves. Although Tucker/Zucker referenced some poor reviews too, so I’m not the only person to be unappreciative of clever French clowning.

You can’t say I haven’t given you balanced information here.  Maybe check out some clips online and see if it’s for you.  You’ll either “laugh in ways that you didn’t think you could“, or will be, like me, a little bemused and sometimes mildly amused.

Jack Tucker: Comedy Standup Hour on until 27 July 2024.  More info and tickets here.