Frank by name, frank by nature. Seattle-based comedian Andrew Frank’s show is as deeply personal as comedy sets get. Not just in the content, but in the show’s delivery and format. ‘Monkey Sermon’ is one-part standard comedy set, one-part personal and unscripted dives into some of Frank’s earliest memories. The result is a warm, funny, and fascinating stand-up set in which Frank can perform with the honesty and individuality that they crave.

Frank grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family in Missouri, which naturally led them to become a non-binary pansexual stand-up comedian. This journey and the hurdles they had to overcome on the way is the focus of ‘Monkey Sermon’, and it is not a journey set to end anytime soon. Their show (and the two others they have brought to the Fringe this year) enable Frank to, in their own words, play and further explore their intersecting identities. Frank is also autistic, and makes a big point about how they don’t have to mask while onstage at the Fringe. The unprepared memory dives, triggered by questions and scenes playing on a projector, make for an enlightening listen that helps to mark Frank’s show out as unique compared to more run-of-the-mill comedy routines. 

Frank is a charming individual, and their incredible sense of humour manages to rouse even the smallest of crowds. They are a warm and infectiously entertaining figure who demonstrates great skill in finding comedy from times of hardship or duress. Taking to the stage in a beautifully illustrated set of dungarees and with a smile that just won’t quit, Frank is reveling in being themself. This may be why the finale, which sees them play an over-the-top and overly zealous pastor, perhaps isn’t met with the reception they expect (even if there is a good gag about coffee and the Bible). 

‘Monkey Sermon’ is an utter delight and an exercise in unashamed honesty from Andrew Frank. You feel less like you have seen a comedy show and more like a close friend has just shared their life story with you, complete with funny vignettes and more than an ounce of familial trauma. Comedy is at its best when approached with the openness and welcoming aura that comes to Frank so naturally when they are in their performing element. 

‘Monkey Sermon‘ is at Hill Street Theatre – Dunedin Theatre until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 16:45