Jazz Emu is back at Fringe, this time with a full live band, in a quest to win himself a knighthood. What is his best chance to be knighted, you ask? Well, by performing a banger at the Royal Variety Show and beating his arch-nemesis Kelly Clarkson, of course. And we have the pleasure to be invited to its open rehearsal at the Royal Albert Hall.

Music greets the audience as we enter the venue, the three bandmates already on stage on the keys, drums, and bass guitar. Like with his previous show, ‘You Shouldn’t Have‘, Jazz Emu utilises the projector screen well. He doesn’t waste any opportunity to amuse us, so as the audience settles, we do so to on-screen jokes. It’s also a clever way to establish the setting and context even before the performance begins. What follows his entry to the stage is a barrage of hilarious bits, genuinely great live music that’ll have us tapping our feet and dancing on our seats, some surprisingly low-high tech props, and entertaining audience interaction.

There are slight hiccups in coordination with the audio engineer and free stage movement of a surprise robotic guest, though Jazz Emu and his band handle each like a pro and elicit laughs even in these moments. Archie Henderson’s commitment to the character of Jazz Emu cannot be faulted. And if we spot him at the festival in his plebeian clothing, we’ll get how an outfit and a pair of glasses are the superficial facets of an entire personality overhaul and could hide Superman’s identity.

Multi-instrumentalist singer-comedian Jazz Emu’s vanity knows no bounds, and though he grows through the show, we can’t really blame him for being so full of himself. It will be hard to come across a comparative act. His brain needs to be extracted and studied to help us better understand its beautifully strange workings.

‘Knight Fever‘ is at Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance One until Sunday 25 August 2024 at 21:00