Battle rap

Kings Theatre in Glasgow, March 2012

More Kai Humphries videos

2009 finalist in both the Laughing Horse New Act Of The Year competition and So You Think You're Funny

Kai Humphries: Evolution
Live Review

How much you'll enjoy this show depends largely on how funny you find toilet humour.

If the answer's 'not very', you're in for a pretty tedious hour. Lavatory-related jokes make up a considerable chunk of the 26-year-old Geordie's debut and while not bad as they go, it's hardly such stuff as comedy dreams are made on.

He doesn't show much more ambition in the meat-and-potatoes observations that pepper the set; flimsy anecdotes about predictive text mix-ups and arguments with his girlfriend might steer him safely through a Saturday night Jongleurs club slot but they don't bear comparison up in Edinburgh.

He's a likeable guy, if a little nervy (machine gun laughter at your own punchlines is never good form) and has evidently put work into the construction of his less anecdotal material – perhaps too much in some instances.   A joke that imagines a recession-hit Narnia is too laboured for the Ross Noble flight-of-fancy it aspires to, ditto his vision of evolution where dogs bite back after years of submission. 

Still, both are marginally more interesting than what he describes as his 'second most embarassing hard-on story'.

Humphries doesn't seem sure who he's trying to be here and the collision of over-reaching material on complex topics and crude pub anecdotes is an awkward one. With a more confident, measured performer, perhaps the different strands would weave together more naturally but he's not there yet, making for a bumpy and at times uncomfortable ride.

Seen Kai perform twice now, and blown away both times. A unique twist on 'me grandad's rude one-lines' has killed in two very different rooms.

Alex, August 2012

I just had the pleasure of introducing Kai at the Cardiff students union, with a great way with words, the audience and his likeable personality, Kai is a great act and a credit to any night!

Patrick Harries-Hanson, December 2010

Some stand-out lines lurking like icebergs in a rnsea of juvenile (though 18+) smut. The simile of turds in a toilet bowl stood on its head.

Geoff F, September 2010

just seen him, brilliant with a gorgeous Geordie accent. Come down to Bedfordshire please

Denise Maher, September 2010

One word. Excellent

Love Comedy, September 2010

I've worked with Kai a number of times and every time he's absolutely ripped the roof off. Really tough to follow and very very funny, will got very far I suspect.

Bethany Black, August 2010

He's a likeable person whose star has risen very quickly and has all the attributes to be a big star BUT his material isn't great and needs work. Didn't laugh much .

zack, August 2010

Maybe it was the connection with the local Geordie crowd, but Kai Humphries managed to fly through one of the funniest stand-up sets I have ever seen last night. Fantastic.

Tom, July 2010