Review: FRANK SKINNER - 30 YEARS OF DIRT, Gielgud Theatre

You would think after 30 years in any business, you’d pick up a few tricks along the way, as Frank Skinner deftly displays as he takes the stage at the Gielgud for the next two weeks.

After being skillfully warmed up by Pierre Novellie, a long-time collaborator of Frank’s, with an act detailing his exploits growing up as a South African on the Isle of Man, or his deep-seated love for the Colonel’s Fried Chicken, the 1991 Perrier-award winning comedian took the stage with an ease that is only earned after decades of sharpening his comedy chops.

With just over an hour of material, Skinner flows from beat to beat with well-practiced ease, a train of thought belonging to a childish madman, with quick wordplay and simple gags making the brunt of his material. Although there are times you can decidedly tell that Skinner came up in a time when the loudest, crudest jokes dominated, he is also, as he himself states, a man consistently fighting the urge to make a knob joke. Still, he perseveres.

Throughout the show, Skinner is a man well and truly in his element, relaxed and casual, playing with the front few rows of the audience with a conversational ease, and dealing with the odd heckler with a quick one-liner, treating it all like a simple lads night out, sharing anecdotes and tales along the way.

While there may be jokes and moments that aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, Frank Skinner’s skill is undeniable, his MBE well-deserved, and his 30 years of dirt, adeptly dished.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Jack Francis

Frank Skinner: 30 years of Dirt plays at London’s Gielgud Theatre until 17 February, with further information here.