I Never Told A Joke In My Life (2013)

A collision of stand-up comedy, failure, and awkward audience participation!

'Comedy genius!' (STOFF Festival director) 

‘Compelling…intriguing and original’ (A Younger Theatre)

‘Devilish wit…ripe black humour…keeps the audience in the palm of his hand’ (Exeunt)

A speech about dead comedians, about forgotten comedians, about every comedian that’s ever been and ever will be.

Or I could walk on to the stage, look at the audience, say ‘Never mind,’ and then just walk off.

In I Never Told A Joke In My Life solo performer Chris Williams recites an endless list of all the things that could happen in a comedy act – from fights with the audience, to sing-a-longs, walk-outs and on-stage deaths. Drawn from real incidents of failure in stand-up comedy, the show cycles through Andy Kaufman’s spats with the crowd, Anthony Griffith’s 10-minute description of his daughter’s battle with cancer, and the ultimate failure of all - the death of Tommy Cooper, live on stage and television.

The band at the back of the auditorium could begin to play. 

And there could be an awkward ripple of applause.
And the screen could turn black.

I Never Told A Joke creates a troubled comedy out of the failures it describes, shifting between humour and moments of darkness. The audience are lulled into a false sense of security - encouraged to laugh, join in and even dance on stage. But from time to time the performance pulls the rug from under them and creates a dark hole in the narrative - often leaving volunteers stranded on stage without instructions, whilst some tragic scenario is described for the rest of the audience.

Devised and Performed by: 

Chris Williams 

Additional Direction:

Sheena Holliday

Tour: 

STOFF Festival, Stockholm

Camden People’s Theatre, London

Media Factory @ UCLan, Preston

Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate

Derby Comedy Festival

Tristan Bates Theatre, London

Beacons Festival, Yorkshire (preview)

The Nursery Theatre, London (preview)

Pot Luck, Kent (preview)