‘You off to work Dad?’
‘Yeah son, I’m off to work.’
Observing the prop-strewn set one can only speculate on who has the tidiest room in the Jones household. It definitely won’t be a dull place. The title of tonight’s show is ‘Dogs’ and it’s not so much a theme as a frame on which to hang each chaotic episode.
Brilliant, illuminated chaos, the set a physical representation of our performer’s unruly, hilariously distracted mind. Surreal, and fascinating, too. Surveying this as we take our seats a geezer we’ve all encountered in the night-time economy blunders into our midst, apologising, ‘I’m a man with three pints’, cranking up the anxiety with the plea ‘I need a wee.’
With the fourth wall in ruins and the tone established, Jones arrives at his set, removes his ‘big heid’ and proceeds to tinker with a small piece of music tech and a keyboard, creating a jazzy loop that serves to punctuate the pieces that constitute tonight’s show.
His face seems capable of a thousand different expressions, eyes working independently of each other, limbs accurately miming and clowning many a move of our beloved pooches. The home-made props and heids/masks each have a moment. Sometimes all you need is a ladle and some gastronomic imagination. Oh, and some Turkishly enhanced teeth.
Some say dogs choose humans, would the same be true of comedy? There’s comic tradition camouflaged within the madness; the fool is played, the goat is acted and if you adjust your specs you’ll recognise Cooper, Dawson, Morecambe, Wisdom, The Goons and Python.
But it’s far from conservative, feels way more raw and a guilty chill pursued the sniggers when the kid’s big heid related the tale of the Russian Sailor mum, the vodka… and the car.
What makes Spencer Jones so compelling is it’s natural – he’s not just making this stuff up.
Running Aug 5 – 30th (not 17th) https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/spencer-jones-dogs
Reviewer: Roger Jacobs
Reviewed: 14th August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating:
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