Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
The story of the strange relationship between a comedian and his extremely conservative father; a man who has died… more than once.
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7:00 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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7:00 pm
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8:00 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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8:00 pm
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1:30 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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1:30 pm
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7:00 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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7:00 pm
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9:30 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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9:30 pm
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5:00 pm Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths
See https://theatreinlondon.ca/2017/05/jon-bennett-my-dads-deaths/ for details.
Location: Good Foundation Theatre
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My Dad’s Deaths is another storytelling show from Jon Bennett and you’ll love it if you enjoyed last year’s Fire in the Meth Lab or Pretending Things are a Cock the year before. If you’re unfamiliar with Bennett’s other shows, you probably shouldn’t miss this. It’s funny, it’s energetic, it’s entertaining, and it’s heartfelt. Bennett’s stories are full of truth-is-stranger-than-fiction moments, and though his Dad’s deaths actually somehow seemed a little less surprising and bizarre than some of the stories in his other shows, they were by no means mundane little anecdotes either… Spoiler alert: there’s dicks in ears and pig piss drinking and bunny-suit backflips and even gunshot wounds, so, you know. Plus Bennett’s delivery alone remains worth the price of admission. All in all a good intro to, or follow-up from, a Fringe mainstay.
Audience members who have seen either of Jon Bennett’s previous shows know that, for Bennett, the storytelling is always more important than the story itself. His considerable gifts as a storyteller allow him to engage and move the audience as he strings together loosely connected memories and anecdotes. Here the structure is provided by the many near death experiences of Bennett’s father. Bennett uses these incidents- ranging from falling off a roof to being shot- to reflect on his difficult relationship with his father and on the eternal filial fear of causing disappointment instead of earning the approval one seeks. Of course, the show is nowhere near as linear as that suggests: there are frequent digressions into unexpected and amusing topics from Facebook postings to school talent shows to non rhyming poetry. Throughout this highly entertaining show, Bennett skilfully blends humour and poignancy to ensure that, as we laugh, we remain aware of the sadness just beneath.
Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths — Hilarious Death by PowerPoint
Jon Bennett is a masterful storyteller and his latest show, My Dad’s Deaths, shows a continuation of his incredible talent and depth. It’s a hilarious presentation combining stand-up, archival video, and poetry.
A veteran of the circuit, Bennett is most known for Pretending Things are a Cock — a venture that served to disappoint his stern father to no end. Bennett shares the story of growing up on a pig farm in Australia, where his father was the central figure in his life — in addition to being a father, he was the local minister, his teacher, and his coach. His father oversaw all aspects of his life, but had a self-professed distaste for jokes.
Bennett is an engaging storyteller who immediately puts you at ease and has you laughing from the start. He’s a professional at his craft and even the most disturbing stories are told in a way that cause the audience to laugh uproariously.
We see video of Bennett from his early stand up days, we are shared photos from his childhood, and we’re taken on Bennett’s progression from student, to the business world, to the comedic touring stage. All through it, there are various touch points with his father and Bennett’s attempts to earn his approval and to crack through his stoic outer veneer.
The title comes from the fact that Bennett’s father was notoriously accident-prone and actually had a couple of close calls, meant that there were literally dozens of times when death was a possibility. Bennett hilariously walks the audience through them and draws laughs from each and every experience.
Bennett is a must-see on the Fringe circuit. With titles like Pretending Things are a Cock, Fire in the Meth Lab, and now My Dad’s Deaths, the casual theatre-goer may have a misconception about what they’re going to get. And that would be a shame. Bennett is an elite comedian with a masterful delivery, sense of timing, and superlative writing skills. Whether you’re a Bennett veteran or this is your first encounter, do yourself a favour and see his latest show.