Terry Titter’s Cosy Christmas

Written by Terry Kilkelly
Unity Theatre
7th to 17th December 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Keegan

Terry Titter is billed as a crude and offensive one man show, and with this as his goal, he doesn’t disappoint. The cosy set sets the scene as a tacky 80s style living room complete with tinsel and a serving hatch. We are then introduced to Renie; Terry in drag, who offends first with her poor jokes about ‘mongs’ and then pushes for a laugh with a mistaken tampon for cigarette gag. Her only line which raised a small smile was her version of ‘Christmas tourettes’ which left her interrupting every character throughout the show with shouts of “must get crackers” and “cashews, get more cashews”.

Then we are moved on, with a quick wig and jacket change to a homophobic, stereotypical Scouser who is a wannabe rock star, his act is full of childish innuendo and borders on obnoxious. It was at this point I started to feel sorry for Terry as he sweated through his performance, laughing at his own jokes and making bitter comparisons between himself and more successful comedians such as John Bishop. To watch a middle age man so desperately trying to raise a laugh made for uncomfortable viewing. Luckily for Terry that night, there were two loyal fans at the front of the audience who let out enough hearty laughs to ensure he didn’t die on stage there and then.

At this point it seemed Terry had lost his way or his script as he chaotically improvised his way through a puppet show which further ensured he had lost his audience. Finally settling on a stereotypical gay character that was a chimney sweep, with this character he seemed to try and be homophobic in an inoffensive way but for me it simply fell flat.

All of his characters swigged at ‘Terry’s Brandy’ throughout the show and for his sake I hope that numbed the fact he was flogging a dead horse. If not for a couple of loyal fans laughing and encouraging him it would have been painful to sit though a couple of hours of Terry begging for a laugh. As it turned out, it was just futile.

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Sorry Comments Closed

Comment left by dazza on 29th December, 2011 at 12:17
I haven't seen the show. But had a very positive feed back from others, who said they loved it. Not sure about the 'Mong' jokes I hate shit like that, it aint funny and its offensive.

Comment left by simon on 3rd January, 2012 at 16:23
saw him before... total jerk! too try hard to be funny!