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Being a stand-up comedian is challenging at the best of times but performing stand-up for kids takes things to a whole new level.
As we all know, children rarely hold back, sharing every little thought that pops into their heads. That’s why British comic Ollie Horn, the comic behind Kids Can Heckle, truly had his work cut out for him.
From the very start, Ollie had the young audience hooked. He chatted to each child individually, cracking jokes and keeping the energy high. My own daughters, as bolshy as ever, even got to share their own terrible dad jokes, which Ollie cleverly twisted into something even more hilarious.
Although the audience was small, this only enhanced the experience. Ollie used the intimate setting to his advantage, tailoring his jokes to each child. One sullen nine-year-old girl was particularly hard to win over, but Ollie made it his mission to get her laughing. By the end of the show, she managed to crack a smile.
A standout moment for me was when Ollie invited the kids to help him write a story. The children eagerly filled in the blanks of his draft with their own wild ideas.
He then brought a grandparent and a child up to perform the finished story, resulting in side-splitting laughter as they flossed and danced the Macarena.
Kids Can Heckle is a show I’d gladly see again because every performance is bound to be different. That said, if audience participation makes you nervous, this might not be the show for you!
Kids Can Heckle runs every Saturday (except 1st February) at Fringe. Get on it!