Reviewed by Louise Watts
Reality TV and talent shows are commonplace now with mixed opinions from the public as to whether they make good or bad viewing. What cannot be disputed is the talent that has been uncovered through these programmes and competitions. People who may have spent their whole life searching for their lucky break and never found it. In turn, we would have missed out on experiencing some amazing artists.
Kojo Anim is a prime example of this. Having worked the comedy circuit for many years and opened for some better-known comedians, it was Britain’s Got Talent that finally gave Kojo the break he had been desperate for. Reaching the final in 2019 with a little assistance from Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer, Kojo clearly made his talent known to the team and the public, ultimately coming runner up in the competition.
Kojo is experiencing his first tour as the “Main Event” at the moment with his “Taxi Tour”. Last evening, myself and a girlfriend attended The Capitol theatre in Horsham, West Sussex to see Kojo perform on stage. I was really excited to see him live and to experience his talent first-hand.
The show opened with 2 supporting comedians – Travis Jay and Joe Bor. Travis did a very good job of warming the audience up which must be a rather daunting task as the first man out (so to speak). He was amusing and raised a good few laughs. Joe upped the ante and made some more naughty jokes which I have to say really were funny, assisted with a (rather annoying) Canadian lady in the front row. I enjoyed the banter between them, but she was just a little too much for me! The talent of both artists was apparent but for me, I think Joe is one to watch. He had that something extra for me and really made me belly laugh!
After the warmup from Travis and Joe came an interval before the main event Kojo Anim himself appeared. From the beginning, you could feel his energy and enthusiasm for what he did. Some of his jokes were absolutely hilarious, others I thought were not as impressive – maybe just my sense of humour? What you could not fail to enjoy was Kojo’s stories of growing up with “African parents” and what this brought to his childhood, along with his personal stories of fatherhood. Kojo performed for around an hour continuously which is a considerable length of time, particularly when you are delivering material which must sound unrehearsed and spontaneous as opposed to scripted.
At the end of Kojo’s set there was a questions and answer session with all 3 comedians. If I am honest, this was my favourite part of the show by far because it was far less scripted and really showed off their talent as genuinely funny men who can make people laugh without even thinking about it. There is nothing better than a live show with some entertaining adlibs.
The audience were clearly enjoying their evening and there was a nice level of audience participation which always adds to the evening.
The Capitol was a lovely event as always and the staff were polite and helpful. The bar and sweet shop were open for all your alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks. Parking is easy with several car parks within a few minutes’ walk of the theatre, several of them free in the evening too which is always a bonus.
The show came with an age of 16+ and I think this was fair. There were some very funny adult themes discussed as well as fair use of bad language.
The evening was thoroughly enjoyable, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody in need of a good laugh – you will most definitely get it!
Rating: 4/5
Kojo Anim is currently on tour around the UK, for more information and tour dates visit www.kojoanim.co.uk.
For other shows at The Capitol in Horsham, visit www.thecapitolhorsham.com or call the box office on 01403 750220.
The Capitol Horsham, North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RG | 01403 750220