Imagine taking seven of the most gratingly hyperactive and sexually frustrated boys you were at school with aged fourteen. Now give them a few beers, the bodies of middle-aged men and a room full of people in front of whom they can make penis jokes and hump each other for a whole hour. That is essentially what you get when you buy a ticket to
A terrible idea for a show.
The show’s premise is made clear in the title really: two teams compete against each other in a charades battle that sees them mime the titles of made up porn films, most of which are mildly amusing puns on regular films. The audience are in no way involved in guessing the games, nor do they know what the films being acted out are. The moment that has the potential to act as a punchline - revealing the title of the porno being enacted - is never provided due to the fact that it is usually screamed unintelligibly by one of the teams.
As it is, the show is neither witty nor entertaining. The best joke of the night was delivered by an audience member. It must be noted that the performers taking part change for different performances, although all panelists in this show were regulars. On the night in question, the total lack of any effort towards diversity on the panel of seven white male comedians made the endless masturbation mimes not only tedious but unpleasantly aggressive. The hour dragged on in a tiresome, testosterone-fuelled and sickeningly self-congratulatory circle-jerk of boys club humour that was neither inclusive nor clever.
What feels really surprising is that no one has told the creators of Imaginary Porno Charades that, while it looks like a potentially fun game to play with friends while enjoying a few drinks in the privacy of your own home, it is a terrible idea for a show. The format of the show inherently hinders the delivery of any actual jokes and the panelists on this night displayed an alarmingly low level of natural wit. Maybe save yourself the hassle of walking out and just give it a miss.
