Edinburgh Fringe review: Jonny & The Baptists will make you laugh until you cry... then cry until you laugh

Heading to see an act named Jonny & The Baptists in a beautiful converted church in Edinburgh’s Old Town might lead you to thinking this was a rather different kind of show.

Certainly not one featuring songs about Winston Churchill and why he probably shouldn’t be on the £5 note or detailed plans on how to grift the super rich.

But that’s what’s on offer at a fantastic show in congregation with musical activist duo Jonny & The Baptists.

The pair – Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers off stage – are known for their politically-driven songs and have tried to combat climate change and Ukip in previous Fringe shows.

This time around, though, they vow not to do any political songs.

Absolutely none, none at all.

JONNY AND THE BAPTISTS LOVE YOU. This is true. 7pm every night. https://t.co/YVc5NFMySF pic.twitter.com/jXNeo6jDR7

— Jonny & the Baptists (@Jonny_Baptists) August 3, 2019

In an hour that flies by, the tremendous double act storm through a riotous set of hilarious but, remember, absolutely not political songs.

With their powerful voices and barnstorming guitar, the transitions between songs give both the audience and performers time to recover before delving in to the next dose.

And while most of the show is a brilliant comedic punch in the face, the later parts are a gentle tug of the heartstrings.

The pair perform their own separate versions of emotional song Making Up The Numbers, which shows another side to their work.

Jonny performs the song as an ode to his young daughter, while Paddy addresses the death of his mother when he was a child. Sweetly sentimental and deeply moving.

A fantastic medley followed by an encore that encapsulates the over-arching theme of love, where the duo address each other, brings the show to a brilliant close (even though Jonny forgot to bring the harmonica and had to make the sound himself.)

Hilarious throughout and moving towards the end, Jonny & the Baptists will make you laugh until you cry and probably cry until you laugh, too. A must-see.