Show 13: Jim Taveré: From Bedpan To Deadpan

I first discovered Jim Taveré via The Sketch Show back in the late 90s and early 00s (also where I first discovered Lee Mack). I had a vague notion of what Taveré had been doing since – as it turns out they include various film credits and a move to America.

Last summer Taveré was involved in a near-fatal car crash which left him with some pretty horrendous injuries including multiple fractures and a haemopneumothorax.

This show is all about that incident and his recovery from it. It’s a pleasant show, and despite the rather grim injuries, Taveré is able to laugh at himself and find some charming coincidences and light in the darkness. There’s an impressive one-liner/gag rate and he’s able to paint with not-too-many words the extent of his injuries and his journey over the past year. It’s quite incredible he’s able to walk independently, hold the microphone, write this show and perform it to us all.

True to the title, he delivers his show in a fairly deadpan style, but it suits Taveré and the material well. He’s certainly still got the nous for some decent jokes in there and it’s certainly an incredible story. He hasn’t been back to the Festival in 20 years, and it’s quite the return he’s made.

Also makes me fairly grateful we’ve got the NHS – he’s still paying medical bills a year later.

Score: 6/10

Venue: The Counting House

Dates: 10^th-26^th August (not 13^th)

Time: 16:15

Price: Free non-ticketed