JADAR

★★★★☆

A-Hole & Propel x Dibby Theatre combines new stand-up work-in-progress sharing of A-Hole from Nathaniel J Hall (It’s a Sin), musical performance and stand-up mash-up piece I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar from Holly Redford Jones, and vocalist performance from King Navassa.

A-Hole (Nathaniel J Hall)

★★★☆☆

Having caught Nathaniel Hall’s (It’s a Sin) first production, First Time, at Contact Theatre in December of 2021— it was exciting to be able to see him perform again, as I thoroughly enjoyed and was inspired by this performance, just under four years ago.

A powerful yet simultaneously hilarious one-man show that he wrote and starred in, First Time centred around Hall’s HIV diagnosis as a teenager, which led to him becoming an activist and speaker for men’s sexual health awareness. A-Hole is Hall’s new work-in-progress standup show, debuting for the first time at Push Festival at HOME MCR.

A-Hole opens with Hall bursting on stage, dressed as a Christmas pudding no less, dancing to ‘Satisfaction’ by Benny Benassi and The Biz. After catching his breath, he lays out the plans for the performance, alluding that A-Hole wouldn’t be like his other shows; he wouldn’t just be “teaching us about sex education”. Hall’s set takes us through a variety of A-hole jokes, discussing how he keeps himself clean and safe while venturing “down there”, and guiding us through an interactive game with the audience. Hall is somewhat vulnerable in this setting, performing new material at a very early stage, occasionally retreating to his script to find his footing.

The strongest part of the show was when Hall sat down and spoke to us without a microphone, and without the tenacious punchlines, candidly telling us about the challenges of his previous performances — where he had to position himself as either the punchline or the punching bag for entertainment. He questions whether he stifled his pain for laughs, and to keep us at ease.

A-Hole was wonderfully daring, showcasing Hall’s willingness to experiment with fresh material, and a new format, taking a step back from his previous works’ dramatic structure, leaning further into his comedic side; fans of Nathaniel Hall should be on the lookout to see Hall’s A-Hole in its final form!

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar (Holly Redford Jones)

★★★★★

We were invited into Holly Redford Jones’ very own lesbian bar, soundtracked with sultry tones and masterful guitar strumming.

Arising from Jonathan Richman’s 1992 song of the same name, Jones seamlessly weaves Richman’s track alongside other songs such as Dusty Springfield’s ‘Spooky’ and Gerry Rafferty’s ‘Right Down the Line’, blending them with expertly timed jokes and stories of queerness.

Jones remains effortlessly nonchalant and composed as she navigates a wide range of personal stories and reflections on the broader political and queer landscape—all the while skillfully playing guitar and chiming in with the next section of her song. She playfully mocks those who refuse to accept transgender people, using her dyslexia as a clever metaphor to discuss LGBTQ+ issues and exclusion within the community. Jones’ confident persona exudes an old western energy—suave yet rugged, salt of the earth, as if she’s seen it all and lived to tell the tale.

I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar was an absolute treat—Jones’ smooth voice and sharp punchlines will stay with me for a long time. Keep an eye out for Holly Redford Jones, because she’s the next best thing out of Chesterfield.

King Navassa

★★★☆☆

King Navassa ended the night on a high, performing a few hits such as Janet Jackson’s Together Again and two of Navassa’s unreleased originals.

King Navassa’s voice was remarkably smooth, polished and controlled, and his original song ‘Serenade’ was really catchy.

With greater confidence in his dancing, and less concern about the audience singing along, King Navassa’s voice could shine even brighter.

By the end of his set, he had a large group from the audience up on stage, dancing and celebrating the Push Festival’s finale with a bang.

A-Hole & Propel x Dibby Theatre was an electric evening of musical and stand-up performances – a joyous end to the festival.