Dave Johns: I, Fillum Star – Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

Reviewer: Matthew Farnham

Dave Johns spent 30 years as a stand-up comic and just found fame, as a film star. John’s tell us the story of how a circuit comedian ended up in one of the worlds most revered and socially active films of 2016.

With his Geordie accent and skilled story telling, Johns weaves through the unlikely tale of how a 62-year-old from a working class background deals with meeting superstars and staying at the fanciest hotels and resorts around the world. The irony is not lost on Johns who cleverly demonstrates how a film about a failing system is adored by millionaires around the world. With subtle nuances and astute verbiage Johns voices his disappointment in the Brexit vote and exactly what to do when you are inches away from Meryl Streep.

Dave Johns: I, Fillum Star is less impactful than the film its name originated from, but none the less is a show that discusses one working class man’s unlikely journey from the North East of England to the red carpets of Europe and how meeting your idols can be awkward. The amusing anecdotes he tells carry an undercurrent of politics, backed up by subtle stage movements that could be analysed as representative of the people who can fix the flawed but choose not to.

If you have seen I, Daniel Blake and felt it pull at your heart strings, then you must see Dave Johns: I Fillum Star. It’s not a sequel to the film, but it is a worthy companion piece that shows why Ken Loach choose this unlikely comedian to lead his latest socially charged work.

Runs until 27 August 2017 | Image: Contributed