A one-woman show about the societal struggles faced by the children of wealthy famous parents (the clue is in the surname), “My Dad and Other Lies” is a piece of comedic theatre detailing the life of a fictitious child of Boris Johnson.
The show is well-produced with a lot of variety, such as a podcast and a very well-choreographed dance routine. There is also some comedic value to it, as Charlotte Johnson’s naivety leads to her inadvertently poking fun at her “father, the government, the Tory party and the handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
However, the ironic, sarcastic comedy style does become tiresome. There is endless government and BoJo material on offer after the last two years, but there are so many acts at the festival that are going down that route. Therefore the level of comedy needs to be very high to stand out, and the humour in this show is good but it does not quite hit that benchmark.
Also, there is a lot of audience participation in the show, and the way in which the audience are involved helps to make the show more entertaining. But those parts are in fact the most entertaining points of the show, and in a show like this, that should really be coming from the written material.
Even though “My Dad and Other Lies” is lacking in some respects, it is still an enjoyable afternoon show for those who enjoy comedy based around politics and unrecognised privilege. For multiple reasons, Charlotte Johnson is one Johnson that Boris will not claim any relation to, because she is making audiences laugh at his expense.
Charlotte Johnson: My Dad and Other Lies, 16:05, Pleasance Dome, August 13-14, 16-29.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/charlotte-johnson-my-dad-and-other-lies
