Chris Cox - Comedy Festival review

Chris Cox - Comedy Festival review

Chris Cox - Fatal Distraction

A mind reader who can't read minds but who's a bit more honest about it?

The Tui billboard writes itself really, doesn't it?

Except, with Chris Cox it about sums up his act.

As you wander into his latest show, Fatal Distraction, you're greeted by ushers wanting to get you to fill out some information and provide a list of things for Chris to do in his act.

But even if you think you know where he's going to go with it, I can guarantee you don't have the slightest clue about where the journey's going to take you.

He's asked that secrets of the show aren't revealed - and fair enough, I'll afford this boisterous Brit that very courtesy - suffice to say, it's loosely an act which has a story thread running through it. One of those threads is that you're only one "What if" away from a different life....

However, the major thrill of this show is the audience participation - Chris' show is not one where you can sit back and not get involved; thanks to the hurling around of a soft toy, his victims (in the loosest sense of the word) are chosen and feats performed that simply have you sitting there, scratching your head and voicing out "WTF?"

It's very easy to be cynical about an act like this - sure, you can argue the suggestions are placed in volunteers' heads by potentially loaded questions - though, to be honest, if you're thinking that, it's a surefire sign that this quick talking Brit, a crown prince of distraction, has got under your skin and got your grey matter puzzling away.

Cox is enthusiastic, fast talking, funny, (albeit with a bad line in some corny puns here and there) and the provider of a great hour's worth of entertainment. It's cleverly masterful stuff throughout and it's guaranteed to leave you puzzled but greatly amused.

Thanks to a generally good natured and genial host, you're happy to sit back and be confounded; Chris is even generous to stick around afterwards to meet the crowd.

I'd wanted to go to talk to him and profess to know how he'd done it (I didn't have the first clue if I was brutally honest but pure swagger would never see me admit that) but sometimes, the magic is simply left alone and you're best to bathe in the glow of a mind blowingly good, brilliantly entertaining show which leaves you beaming from ear to ear as it finishes.