What is the recipe for the perfect 4-star show? According to Josh Raynes, it’s sharing all that juicy trauma with a few laughs peppered in (dead dad club, growing up queer, living with BPD—you know the drill).
Josh greets the audience warmly as the show begins and introduces its newest structure: the stories are divided into three buckets, ranging from light to dark, or "drizzle" to "heavy." The heavy parts, he explains, carry the star power. It’s a recipe for a 4-star show, blending light and dark tones with the increasingly popular mix of stand-up and storytelling. Weaving through tales of being a member of the Dead Dad Club, growing up English after being born in Africa, and navigating a late BPD diagnosis, the show has all the ingredients of something great, with plenty of meaty material to dig into.
Yet, it falls a bit short, feeling underdeveloped—which makes sense, as it’s still a work in progress. At times, it seems Josh is more focused on filling the hour than building something substantial. That said, the buckets aren’t the issue; they add a delightful layer of connection as the lights come up in the audience so we could select stories from the buckets and occasionally chip in with audience feedback in real time, the fourth wall crumbles, creating a cozy, intimate experience in this little cinema. I loved the three coloured balls that looked a little like deflated IKEA paper lamps, very warm. Josh is also incredibly witty and charming, even when the writing lacked, or felt unfinished we were still along for the ride, hanging on to their words.
However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Josh was holding back or self-censoring as he delivered punchline-driven stories from intriguing prompts. For instance, he mentions growing up in Kenya and India and moving back to the UK at 13—a rich topic that could easily fill an entire show. Yet, all we get is a brief punchline about his 4th birthday party, where he called himself an "English boy" when asked his age. I would have preferred fewer elements in the bucket and a deeper dive into the meatier stories. Save some material for those who’ll come back next time!
Their saving grace is their charisma. Though there’s an understandable nervousness in premiering a work-in-progress, his charm and earnestness make you feel welcome in the space and root for his success. It’s a delightfully cozy and connected experience, even if the show itself feels incomplete. It's not clear whether this is standup or a one-man show, Josh doesn't want to pick a side - and nor should he! But it does need a little more of a driving force to pull the show together and make it a true 4-star show. (Or let's be ambitious! Maybe even 5).
Recommended drink: A gin and tonic, classically English but fittingly developed in India.
Catch When it Raynes it Pours at the Iris @ the Mercury Cinema Sat 1 Mar, Wed 5 Mar - Sat 8 and Wed 12 - Sat 15 Mar at 19:45.
Tickets are available on the Adelaide Fringe website.