American comedian/write Demi Adejuyigbe picked up an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination for Best Newcomer for his debut show Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip and now Londoners have a chance to see what all the fuss is about. This is a fast-paced, constantly inventive set unlike anything else you will see onstage in 2025. 

Adejuyigbe (pronounced Aday-Jew-Ebay) sets up the simple premise pretty quickly, while also explaining that he doesn't piss his pants any more. He wants to do one (1) backflip as he has decided that's the way to impress his crush, who is supposed to be in the theatre watching the show. When it turns out that she has better things to do instead such as go to a block party with Wallace Shawn he offers his audience a powerpoint mini-lecture complete with music, dancing on other things that might impress his crush.

This is a jazzy, joyously daft show that constantly pulls the rug and takes you by surprise, so it would be unfair to say too much. The jokes fly thick and fast in a frenzy of pop culture references. When fall guy Adejuyigbe, who has written on hit philosophical sitcom the Good Place, isn't telling a comic story there are visual gags on screens. It feels both tightly scripted and nicely loose. When things go slightly off piste part of the fun is not knowing if this is intentional or not.

There was one niggle to the staging of this show in the Soho basement. Unlike his raked seating venue at the Edinburgh Fringe the sightlines were not ideal as some of the comedy happens on the stage floor, so unless you are in the first few rows you may well miss a nice moment involving a tiny creature in a car. But don't worry, this is just a minor quibble about a small visual gag, albeit one that was rather cute. Don't worry, there will soon be another gag coming along that's just as funny. Expect the unexpected.

Until February 15. Tickets and info here.

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