You’ve always got to admire someone willing to stand alone on stage for 90 minutes armed with nothing but a microphone and the hope that strangers will laugh. Stevie Parker is undeniably likeable company, and his enthusiasm for comedy never wavers, but unfortunately, he struggles to deliver.
Built around the conceit that Parker will attempt to tell 1,001 jokes in a single show – a “non-contractually binding” world record attempt – the set rattles along at a reasonable pace. Yet quantity rarely translates into quality. Many of the jokes are groan-inducing dad jokes and puns, sometimes feeling a bit archaic in their occasional crudeness, while observational routines often wander off into tangents that are never quite brought back together.
There are flashes of promise, but the delivery often feels tentative, preventing the material from finding its natural rhythm. The precision that a master of the one-liner format, like Tim Vine, has is missing, so the flexing between this and more rambling narratives makes it feel inconsistent.
The evening’s biggest laugh comes from the audience participation. Two volunteers are tasked with using clickers to count the jokes, only to – perhaps tellingly – reveal wildly different totals by the finale – an unplanned gag that proves funnier than many of the scripted ones.
Parker does remain engaging and jolly with admirable commitment, but the material needs considerably sharper writing and slicker delivery to match his obvious enthusiasm.
For remaining Manchester Fringe shows, visit https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/whats-on/
Reviewer: Lou Steggals
Reviewed: 27th July 2026
North West End UK Rating: