1000 Years of German Humour

It is a testament to the surrealist charm of Henning Wehn & Otto Kuhnle that a cultural stereotype as simplistic as yodeling while clad in lederhosen could become a genuinely amusing spectacle. 1000 Years of German Humour miraculously inspires laughter even though each and every joke is entirely predictable. In fact, even at the show's very lowest levels of intellectual stimulation, the audience still mustered a giggle of admiration.

1000 Years is comedy from the same dusty basement that now houses 70s double acts like Morecambe and Wise and the Two Ronnies. While the duo bring a slightly ironic tone to their silliness, satirising their own country's comedic principles, this show is about as daft as they come. The pair complement each other extremely well, with Wehn handling the more traditional standup and Kuhnle contributing a series of mind-bendingly surreal physical comedy segments. The sausage-charming demonstration and live rendition of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen with a plastic sword provoked looks of disbelief and mirth in equal measures.

The sheer charm that these two men exude is only occasionally offset by some mildly sexist and racist jokes that feel like they're a little too antiquated to grace the stage in the noughties. It does, however, feel like you're watching a perfectly-preserved relic from the past, or from a country whose humour has evolved a little slower than ours. As a lesson in cultural difference with some hilariously weird interludes, 1000 Years is an entertaining way to spend an early Festival evening. And I guarantee, it's enough to leave you craving a sausage and a beer.