Stand-up show by John Kearns, directed by Jon Brittain, in which he portrays a 38-year-old man's life.
John Kearns brings Tilting at Windmills to Hull Truck Theatre on Thursday 29 April 2027. It's a stand-up show directed by Olivier winner Jon Brittain, and the title gives you a fair idea of the territory: tilting at windmills is the classic image of fighting an imaginary enemy, and that's exactly where Kearns spends most of his time.
He describes the show as a fragmented, digressing portrayal of a 38-year-old man's life. It's not a straight narrative; it's more of a collection of tangents, and a good part of the comedy comes from the way it wanders. He alludes to books he hasn't actually read and touches on the modern condition, and the press has described it as more allusive and bleak than ever. If you've seen his other work, that'll make sense—his comedy usually lives in that slightly uncomfortable, self-deprecating space rather than in punchlines.
You might recognise him from a few different places. He's appeared bewildered on Taskmaster (Channel 4), terrified on Live At The Apollo (BBC), and worked his way through Never Mind The Buzzcocks (Sky). He also had his own Sky stand-up special, The Varnishing Days, where he spent a fair bit of time implicating other people in his mishaps. He performed at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe, and Tilting at Windmills has been drawing strong reviews since—The Times called it 'a one-of-a-kind comic masterpiece'.
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It's a single-night date at Hull Truck, so if you want to see it, you'll need to get your tickets in advance. The show runs on Thursday 29 April 2027 at Stage 1 of the theatre, in Kingston upon Hull.
