Jack Docherty is what you would call a man o’ pairts.
Come to think of it, one of his pairts played a large role in his show at Eden Court last night, but let’s pass on that for the moment.
What I mean is that Jack is a writer, actor, presenter, producer, familiar to most of at some point in the past four decades through his diverse roles.
He was in C4’s cult comedy show Absolutely in 1989 playing numerous characters, and became a chat show host on C5 in 1997.
Most recently, he played Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson in the BBC Scotland comedy Scot Squad.
This barely touches the sides of his bio, but after last night I’ve decided raconteur should come top of his list of talents.
I laughed until I cried at some points in his coming of age show, David Bowie and Me: Parallel Lives.
I too came of age in the 70s, and like Jack, not a little in love with Bowie so like many in the audience, I was with him all the way.
The rites of passage he describes are a little too risque to commit to the P&J readership, but you can imagine.
His ‘pairt’ and its awakening featured prominently, that’s all I’m saying.
Docherty makes you feel almost nostalgic for those carefree days of rampant sexism, racism, sexual harassment and freedom from the internet. (But not really I hasten to add).
It’s just that it provides him with a very rich comic seam, and I sometimes wonder what younger generations will find to send up in this beige age.
Anyway, there are no holds barred with Jack when he talks about his sexual awakening, the highs and lows, the hurt, rejection and disillusionment.
Then there’s the hilarious tales of experimenting with drugs, and all the while David Bowie is there in Docherty’s psyche, hero and genius.
He did get to meet and interview Bowie on his chat show, finding him strangely lonely afterwards, reluctant to leave and issuing prescient sagesse about the newly-arrived internet.
The show is an intense hour long, with very much the fast and furious feel of an Edinburgh Fringe show, and that’s because it was.
The pace of it, the wit and the originality was refreshing for Eden Court.
I laughed and laughed.
The backscreen video and the soundtrack were great too.
I’m not sure how younger people would get on with the many ‘triggering’ aspects of an average slice of the 70s and all the cultural references, but for those of us who grew up then it was the tonic we need in an age when we’re not sure what we can and can’t say or even think.
Catch this man on tour if you can. There are only two more dates listed for this show, Friday June 14 at Perth Theatre and Saturday June 15 at Cove Burgh Hall.
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