CBC:

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Audience:
Company: JonBennettComedy.com, Melbourne, Australia
Genre: Comedy
Venue: 22 - Shannon's Irish Pub
Hinging on the idea that he a) fears his dad’s death, and b) fears/accepts disappointing his dad, Bennett presents his relationship in the form of a sort of comical case study.
—Sarah Michaelson
Australia's Jon Bennett (of
Pretending Things Are a Cock fame) returns to the Winnipeg Fringe with a show that combines stand-up, storytelling and comedic slideshow (which reminds me, get a seat with good sightlines).
Hinging on the idea that he a) fears his dad's death, and b) fears/accepts disappointing his dad, Bennett presents his relationship in the form of a sort of comical case study.
As he itemizes his dad's near-deaths, plenty of laughs pop up from his point-form notes on the screen. Bennett's stage presence is warm and energetic with a touch of crass -- he is famous for phallic visual gags, after all.
There are a few sections in the show that are solely there for the sake of being funny -- mocking stupid Facebook status updates, in particular -- that steal attention away from the emotional potential of child/parent relationships. Yes, those parts are amusing but have less of a "point" in a show with such a strong premise.
Nonetheless, Bennett has really great timing and the ability to embellish the truth with charm.