Review: JOE KENT-WALTERS IS FRANKIE MONROE: DEAD!!! (GOOD FUN TIME), Soho Theatre

“Welcome to Hell!”

After the show that won him the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer last year, comedian Joe Kent-Walters is back as the Working Men’s Club owner, Frankie Monroe, entertaining audiences with jokes, songs and plenty of interaction. But, there’s a twist - in last year’s show, Frankie was dragged down to Hell “by his balls” after making a deal with the Devil to keep the Misty Moon club open. Now, “Yorkshire’s biggest bastard” has to escape, and he needs your help. 

Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: DEAD!!! (Good Fun Time) begins with an animated video that introduces audience members to what happened in Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: LIVE!!!, ensuring that everyone is on the same page before Kent-Walters takes the stage. The animation is quick and clever, giving those unfamiliar with the character of Frankie Monroe the necessary information. And then, Frankie himself enters from the back of the room, an ominous voice chanting “Welcome to Hell” accompanying him.

For those worrying that Hell and dying have changed Frankie Monroe, have no fear - he’s exactly the same man, face painted white and all. The entertainer welcomes audiences to Hell by throwing sweets at them before quickly asking if they’ll be paying for them with cash or card. There’s a bar open, but according to Monroe, it only sells the worst drink imaginable - Foster’s. But, luckily, he’s come up with an alternative that gets groans from the audience. It seems as though Frankie Monroe is happy in Hell, playing the role of entertaining all of the newly dead and explaining the rules of the underworld to them, as well as letting them guess which celebrities are going to be there too (Epstein is mysteriously nowhere to be found). 

But, things aren’t as good up on Earth as they are in Hell. After some intervention from his nephew, Brandy, through possessing Frankie’s iconic puppet, Mucky Little Pup, Frankie finds out that the Misty Moon has been taken over by his mortal enemy, Vegas Dave. Vegas Dave has transformed the Working Men’s Club into a place that a Dubai chocolate-loving and Labubu-carrying member of Gen Z would love, with £7 pints and pizza in jars. Frankie must win a game against the Devil in order to return to Earth and take his rightful place as the king of the Misty Moon. 

A highlight of the show comes from its relentless audience interaction, whether the audience members are interested in interacting or not. In the first few minutes of the show, an audience member’s phone is swiped (this isn’t new - someone’s wallet was taken in last year’s show), and that particular person is involved for the rest of the performance.

Other audience members take part in games and are even brought on stage as characters, including the Devil himself. Kent-Walters does a fantastic job of bringing audience members into the world of Frankien Monroe - by the end of the show, everyone is so invested that they are all singing along to some of Frankie Monroe’s greatest hits, including the classic “Egg In A Bag!” 

Ultimately, Joe Kent-Walters is Frankie Monroe: DEAD!!! (Good Fun Time) is a fun sequel that allows audiences to reunite with the iconic character of Frankie Monroe. Kent-Walters does a great job in bringing Frankie back from the dead (literally), giving fans a new look at the entertainer while still bringing back some of the classics. Just be sure not to touch his special trowel!