Edinburgh Fringe review: Jonny & The Baptists, Dance Like It Never Happened

It’s always a good sign when you leave a comedy show with a face sore from laughing, and you emerge from Jonny & The Baptists‘ latest show with cheeks very much tingling.

The duo, Jonny Donahoe (Jonny) and Paddy Gervers (the Baptists), deliver a riotous set of melodic musings in Dance Like It Never Happened as they reflect on the last two years.

Over that time, Jonny has had a dice with death thanks to Covid, and Paddy has had a breakdown. They’ve also had to deal with the comedy industry going into shutdown and having the government suggest they retrain in something called ‘cyber’.

There’s even more silliness in this show than previous efforts, with highlights including the duo imagining their own incompetent detective agency and a storming, hysterical tale of ‘Cocaine Gran’. Both are brilliant musicians and have written some of the catchiest, funniest numbers you’re likely to hear at the festival.

The audience are led along on a merry ride, as too is Paddy as he often appears genuinely taken aback by off the cuff quips and handbrake turns by his on-stage colleague. The two clearly have incredible chemistry and are having a blast on stage.

You get the impression this show changes wildly day to day, which is partly its beauty. An hour of glorious chaos.