Toronto Fringe Festival 2026
Jon Bennett: AMERICAN’T
Jon Bennett
Genre: Comedy
Venue: Soulpepper Theatre's Kevin & Roger Garland Cabaret
Festival: Toronto Fringe Festival
Low Down
Bennett’s superpower is his ability to take what others would view as ordinary life events and make them into comic routines. One hour with Jon Bennett is not nearly enough to drink in his fantastic stories and quick wit.
Review
“I Came in Like A Wrecking Ball” = the Miley Cyrus song is playing as we walk into the theatre – on repeat and repeat Maybe that is a pre-cursor to what we are about to experience!
Jon Bennett is an experienced comedic storyteller. He’s toured the world and collected stories, like some people collect souvenirs. He is charming and engaging. He has the knack of turning an ordinary experience into something hilarious for the audience, whether it is a happy occasion or a life-changing challenge. All of the episodes are punctuated by photos and videos on screen, ranging from iconic figures to his family. There is even a sweet exchange on-screen with the young daughter of a friend, sending him messages to invite him to visit her family in America.
One of his former shows is based on photos that he took around the world of him looking forward in interesting positions, always facing some protrusion, like planes, and statues, and even the CN Tower (good job adding a local landmark). The show is called “Pretending Things are a C*ck” and it very clever. Bennett treats us to the range of locations and poses, which is very funny.
We travel the world with Bennet as he plays to festivals on four continents. He has his moments of partying too much and meeting women. The one who captures his attention is Gina Stefani. There are plays on the Stefani name, like the famous Gwen Stefani, and Bennett’s own name, too close to the murdered child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey.
All is going well for his career and then – COVID and lockdown. He returns to his family home in Australia to join his parents and brothers as they manage the restrictions. His father is a straight-talking minister, which makes for some comedic dialogue. He challenges his nieces and nephews to a kind of treasure hunt, which turns into disaster (hint- this involves a dead dog) – but it’s funny.
Eventually he chooses to return to Gina in Eugene, Oregon. The drill to which he is subjected at the U.S. border is disheartening but not surprising. But Bennet is able to turn even the nine-hour grilling into funny bits. Although Oregon is his “happy place”, he is highly critical of the many of the U.S. policies, including the lack of universal health care and the prevalence of guns.
Bennett’s superpower is his ability to take what others would view as ordinary life events and make them into comic routines. His self-deprecating humour makes him relatable to the audience. He has the crowd on his side from the moment he enters the stage and keeps everyone laughing until the last word. He grabs our hearts when he tells stories that were distressing for him and then lifts us up as he pivots to the humour in the moment.
One hour with Jon Bennett is not nearly enough to drink in his fantastic stories and quick wit. Highly recommended for anyone who needs a laugh.
Bennett has played shows in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, the U.K and Australia for the past 20 years. He is a seven-time Just For Laughs Award nominee (Montreal, Canada). This is his fourth Toronto Fringe. Previous shows have titles like Fire in the Meth Lab and My Dad’s Deaths. This reviewer wants to see all of them!
This is definitely a 19+ show.
