FRINGE REVIEW: Ivan Brackenbury’s Hospital Radio Christmas Show

Tom Binns, costar of the much-missed legendary late-night sports show ‘Under The Moon’, hit the jackpot last year with his Ivan Brackenbury character – a feckless hospital radio DJ. The basic premise behind the show is simply to dedicate hugely inappropriate songs to patients suffering from different ailments. Some seem obvious (Sit Down, by James, for a man with piles) but others are inspired (A Little Patience, by Take That, for a doctor specialising in dwarfism – gettit?).

This could wear pretty thin over an hour, but Binns’s character is so well-rounded and enjoyable to watch that the time flies by. While the show is similar to last year’s if.comeddies nominated set in structure, the jokes are all new and a number of ‘wacky wind-ups’ are used to vary the pace. A plot, of sorts, involving Brackenbury’s boss is also introduced to add further interest for the audience. The Christmas theme is also welcome, opening up a whole new range of possibilities for the character. There are even free crackers.

For sheer number of laughs-per-minute this show is a real winner, although it’s hard to see where Brackenbury can go next. Perhaps an Alan Partridge-style reinvention awaits us next year? Here’s hoping.

David Hepburn

Ivan Brackenbury will be appearing at the Pleasance Courtyard at 4.45pm until August 25.