one4review | On 15, Aug 2023

The quintessential Yorkshire working man’s club man’s man, the type that even us kids of the 1980’s met at a smoky old bingo hall that Nan dragged us to. The one you see scoffing a pie and downing a pint before taking to the mic for an evening of tolerated misogyny and sizeist remarks upon the number 88. But there is something quite annoyingly endearing about Frank Lavender. With his proud mutton chop sideburns, piecing blue eyes, self-belief and appalling apparel, he brings us an hour of observational and character comedy with a daft attempt at physical theatre in the shape of a mute ventriloquist, PC Noah Fence.

I first saw the self-proclaimed ‘last straight man in show business’ at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe and in my POV Gareth Joyner has refined this dusty old relic. Once again, I found myself wincing at Frank’s terrible dead-end puns, but this time they are lifted into oblivion with the not-so-fresh addition of the wife, Rose, on the ‘ba’dum-snare. Like last time, I personally endured his heckling which felt to be fair exchange for me having to sit through a terrible performance and ‘I went to the doctor and saw a dog’ jokes.

I am not slating Frank- I promise he is just a misunderstood old codger who donned his best pair of cheap shoes for a night of orange cream entertainment from the bottom of the Quality Street tin. Like Frank, I too am adopting an ironic temperament which unfortunately passes right by some of my fellow audience members. He’s a bit like that there Phoenix Nights, but a cabaret version who makes fearful reference to the threat to his livelihood from current culture wars and the modernity of the woke world.

I watched Frank clumsily but with conviction display a great ability of being fully able to embrace all things woke. He was even very hospitable to our fellow LGBTQI plus community in the audience. If you do go, and find his humour has expired, you should hear one of

his shlemiel old dad’s gags that comes from a neatly compiled book of inappropriate witticisms. Frank promises a money back guarantee of a laugh a minute. I can confirm he did in fact achieve well over a hundred giggles within the 60-minute timeframe. All the while, our fading old violet’s ego is lifted with some diligent documentation on a white board by a front rower, who kept a tally of the laughs throughout the performance.

Yes, there is floundering, but this does not go unnoticed by Frank who is fully aware of the validity of his sinking material. Acknowledging that times have changed, Frank recognises a need to stay afloat but he does so on a raft of resentment. Frank tells us he attended some sort of sensitivity course to develop more of a PC mindset as Rose uncontrollably humiliates him with memories of that time, he was booed offstage when he made a wildly inappropriate homophobic joke.

Behind this ruff old dog is the aforementioned character creator and brilliant Gareth Joyner. They are also the creator of the spikey but again loveable temptress and Franks sister in-law Myra Du Boise. I digress slightly here, only I am just noticing the word joy features in Gareth’s last name, very apt if you ask me as Frank Lavender was, sigh, an utter joy to watch (cry laughing emoji).

To help you plan I would suggest popping by to see Frank, grab something to eat and then head up to Myra!

4****

Reviewed by Jen

Just the Tonic at La Belle Angele

17.00  (1hour)

Until 27 Aug