Jimeoin: Renonsense Man (SCF)

8 May 2017 | 2:25 pm | Paul Smith

"It's pure gold."

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Jimeoin has one of those faces that just makes you want to laugh. Well, to be more accurate, he tells the packed Enmore Theatre crowd that he has ten go-to stupid faces, complete with accompanying demonstrations. It's typical of the gentle humour - occasionally straying into something a little more risque with a knowing cheeky grin - that has attracted audiences for near on 30 years.

Self-deprecation has always been a big part of Jimeoin's comedy and there are plenty of examples here. "Some of these jokes aren't great but you've got to do something," he remarks early on. He has a brief bit of audience interaction, before admitting he isn't very good at it. He's also keen to point out that while many comedians have some kind of clever message in their shows, his is just a load of nonsense.

That may well be the case, but his animated observations of everyday things from crossing a road to the different ways people laugh, perfectly blend recognition with ridiculousness. While apparently delving into a joke ideas journal he keeps (each subsequently rated with a tick or a cross) he goes into a brief routine titled Realistic Porn. With gems like mid-foreplay softly whispering in your lover's ear, "Did you put the bins out", it's pure gold.

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Having explained that, he went straight into the encore without exiting the stage for fear that everyone would be leaving when he got back. Jimeoin closes with a few very short songs on acoustic guitar. It reveals a slightly different edge to his comedy which he delivers so naturally, the hour seems like minutes. As the crowd eventually started to disperse with the house lights on, Jimeoin did indeed wander back on stage — as if we wouldn't all have stayed for another hour given half a chance.