There is nothing quite like watching a performer who effortlessly holds a room in the palm of his hand. Having reviewed Joshua a few times now, it is always a joy to see him bring authentic, unapologetically queer storytelling to the stage, drawing on his own lived experiences while simply letting gay relationships exist and be celebrated on stage as normal. So, self-confessed fan club moment aside, let us talk about his latest show.
10 Hours in Kraków is an autobiographical piece based on Joshua’s own wild experience of going on a stag do in Poland, leaving a club on his own, and completely and inexplicably vanishing into the unknown for ten hours.
This was presented as a first-ever work-in-progress sharing, and honestly, seeing a WIP is always a blast. There is something genuinely electric about witnessing a show at this stage of development. You get to see it as it exists for the very first time, knowing that as the actor performs and plays with it, the piece will continue to grow and evolve.
Right from the start, Joshua used the space wonderfully, even giving everyone in the front row a high five. Because it is a work-in-progress, when he momentarily lost a line, it did not pull you out of the experience at all. Quite the opposite: the other Joshua (musical director Joshua Dawson) cleverly brought him right back on track with a playful musical nudge and a brilliantly timed quip, adding to the unvarnished, charming vulnerability of the night.
The staging made fantastic use of the venue with a horseshoe layout, giving Joshua the ideal arena to let his trademark stage presence run wild. It immediately recalled the magnetic energy he brought to his previous show: you know, the one featuring the Buddha played by George.
The piece weaves together comedy, music, and song, with Joshua’s vocals shining throughout the performance. Musically, it hit all the right notes, particularly thanks to the live accordion playing by Joshua Dawson, which instantly transported the room straight to Eastern Europe. It is also fantastic to see Jez Dolan directing. He always has a wonderful way of creating space in a performance, whether working with a jazz band or a full-scale production. Paired with production by David Martin and moments of great communal warmth, including an enthusiastic audience singalong to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, the room was properly buzzing.
Watching Joshua capture what it feels like to navigate a space as the only queer person in the room really resonated. He perfectly articulates the exhausting reality of dealing with the heavy, aggressive heterosexual banter of a stag do. Yet, beneath all the loud absurdity and the chaos of those missing ten hours, the true emotional anchor of the show reveals itself. I especially loved the tender, quiet section where Joshua mentions his partner, James. It provided a beautiful, grounding contrast to the lad-heavy noise, showing just how much love there is between them, proving that James is his absolute rock and the perfect travel partner.
Raw, deeply personal, and packed with heart, this early glimpse proves that while 10 Hours in Kraków is still finding its final form, it has all the makings of something genuinely special.
There is one more showing, however, it is already completely sold out. To follow the show’s journey and keep an eye out for future dates, please follow Joshua on Instagram at @jvmartin92.
By James for Canal Street Media