A guide to therapy for terrible people is a stand up comedy show written and performed by Joe Kirkwood and, put simply, this show had me and the rest of the audience laughing constantly. Joe is witty, fast thinking and hilariously relatable. From the moment he got on the stage, he had captured the audience's attention and made us all laugh instantly. Additionally, Joe really fed off the audience, and improvised a number of jokes based on their reactions – the sign of a great comedian.
At the start of the show, Joe got us involved in a quick fire version of Play Your Cards Right (also known as Higher or Lower), but with an hilarious twist. This was so engaging and it really made me feel settled in the show.
I really liked his comedy style and his stage presence. Many of his jokes centred around his own experiences of neurodiversity (he explains that he was diagnosed with ADHD) and bisexuality. He also talks about growing up in Bradford, a zoo in Germany, his student accommodation experience and cress - yes you read that right: cress. It's really hard to describe the actual content of the show as it would spoil it, and out of context I know it will sound insane. Just trust me that near enough every one of his jokes landed well and the timing was fast-paced. During the show, some of the jokes seem unrelated and random but Joe does an excellent job in tying them all together at the end.
Amongst the laughs and comedy, Joe also gets personal in a very real way. Again, I don't want to spoil the content of the show but it could be upsetting to some people. Yet, Joe did a great job at incorporating the emotional storytelling within jokes. He does emphasise that he is okay now!
I have always found stand-up comedy to be very hit or miss. To me, Joe Kirkwood was a definite hit! This was an incredible stand up show that I highly recommend checking out if you get the opportunity.
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