Louis CK

Louis CK is a wanker. That’s not an insult: he’ll tell you the same thing himself. In fact, over the course of this unpleasant, offensive and excruciatingly funny one-hour set, he frequently does.

Famously described by Chris Rock as “the greatest comic mind of the last quarter century,” the Bostonian is, of course, nothing of the sort. He’s probably not even the greatest comic mind in the room, as a selection of the Fringe’s best and brightest can be spotted amongst the sell-out audience. But when it comes to the ignoble art of making the very, very wrong seem very, very funny, Louis CK is simply the best.

The show essentially details a thirty-year love-affair with the onanistic arts, alongside a few skits on such elevated issues as air travel, why white people suck so much, and the fat man’s fear of the sweaty boxer short. There’s also a lengthy section on how much he hates his daughters, before we return to one of the burning questions of the 21st century, namely: “How soon after September 11th 2001 was it okay to start jerking off again?”

If this all sounds like pretty adolescent stuff, well, it most certainly is. But here is a superb comedy craftsman who takes obvious delight in making the audience roar with laughter at things they really shouldn’t. Louis CK’s show is a guilty pleasure, but a pleasure none the less – just don’t be surprised if you feel a little bit dirty afterwards.