Log In


Reset Password
  • MENU
    General
    Tuesday, May 07, 2024

    Streaming tip — Repertoire, James Acaster, Netflix

    Elsewhere in this edition of "Night & Day" you'll find previews for local shows by two of the brightest comics currently making people laugh in this solar system, John Mulaney and Anthony Jeselnik.  Have you heard, though, of a British comedian named James Acaster? He's pretty well-known in Europe but not so much in the States. That should change dramatically with his new "Repertoire" special streaming on Netflix. It's actually a compilation of three different one-man shows from the past few years — "Recognise," "Represent" and "Reset" — all thematically related and tied together by a fourth, edited production called "Recap," which comprises inside jokes from the first three. Acaster is freaking BRILLIANT — and unlike anyone I've seen. His ongoing persona is that he's an undercover cop acting like a comedian. He's also on jury duty. These are two themes that weave in and out of seemingly random and often surreal bits and observations that are almost frightening in their fresh, biting, and howlingly funny originality — and you'll never see the twists coming or the unifying resolutions.

    Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.