What I liked
Hal’s charismatic performance, the vignettes where Hal portrays his dad, and the newspaper clippings and video we see in the show.
What I didn't like
For me, this could only be improved by being turned into a deep-dive documentary where we’d hear from Hal’s mom, siblings, and others who knew his dad. (In other words, just more of this fascinating story.)
My overall impression
Jersey Devil: A Dead Dad Comedy is a hilarious, fascinating, and even poignant one-man show. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Hal Rudnick takes his harrowing childhood memories of his “complicated” dad and turns them into a comedy whirlwind that elicited near-constant laughter and innumerable shocked gasps from the audience. Hal’s charismatic performance frees the audience to commiserate and laugh along with him at events that must have been terrible at the time. There’s also a lot of heart to this show. It’s obvious that Hal and his dad shared a deep bond and that Hal loved him despite his many failings. Truly a must-see show at Fringe!
