You will probably know John Kearns from his trademark monkish wig, big glasses and outrageously prominent front teeth. He laments this self-imposed gimmick when meeting ventriloquist Nina Conti, bemoaning this curse. How can he ever say ‘Lalique’ with these? He has terrible problems with P and B words, so I guess ‘bubbling puppets’: isn’t going to make his routine any time soon.

He self-deprecatingly reminisces about not being invited onto Last Man Laughing. How difficult can it be to not laugh at Sue Perkins for two days? Or his tragic stint on Taskmaster. At least he was on it. He’s 39, separated after a 12-year relationship with a 5-year-old son and living in Streatham with his mum and dad.

This sets up the main running gag of the show, trying to buy a flat with the help of 21-year-old estate agent called Connor, which sets up a side splitting routine about, ‘Can you imagine living here John?’ It releases his inner rage to hilarious effect. A blood vessel might pop during this run as he screams invective at Connor and many other people and institutions in his increasingly falsetto, perhaps castrato voice. It’s terrifying.

The other running gag centres on a walking tour of London, themed on TS Eliot’s, Wasteland. (He hasn’t read it). The pretension this offers as material is brilliant. His set wanders about, sometimes almost aimlessly, aided by his occasional, joyful, ad libbing. But it’s all stitched together by these two themes.

This a comedian at the top of his game in a venue that feels inordinately small for his calibre. That’s the wonder of the Fringe.  In times where everybody is being ripped off you can see comedians of this quality (Daniel Kitson anyone, Elf Lyons, Flo and Joan?) for the price of a large red in London. This is to be celebrated and John Kearns is one of the reasons to do so.

‘Tilting at Windmills‘ is at Monkey Barrel 3 at Monkey Barrel Comedy until Sun 30 Aug 2026