Review: I’M NOT BEING FUNNY at Bush Theatre

Stuart King 15 May, 2026, 09:38

One evening at a small family living room, surrounded by the sedate chaos redolent of a young family member, a couple hit the mics in a bid to work-up enough comedy material — a tight five — with which to entertain a room full of people, including twenty of their friends. The premise for Piers Black’s new play I’M NOT BEING FUNNY, doesn’t initially convince, but as with all good things, patience is rewarded.

I'm Not Being Funny Image provided by production.

Billie (Tia Bannon) and Peter (Jerome Yates) are the couple who have put themselves in the stressful and potentially humiliating situation and it is through their shared mic banter that we gradually learn of their history together and what has brought them to this moment. Their initial encounter at school over a wayward tuna salad, first dance, first kiss, living together and pregnancy are all covered-off tidily. The predictable sequence is then upended with info-grenades which detonate the peace and shine a spotlight on the painful and shattering realities which underpin their caution, sensitivity and tip-toeing around what constitutes acceptable and comfortable material to share in a comedy set.

Their three year old has stopped laughing and both feel the weight of that silence whilst also being unable to openly discuss the cause. It becomes evident that in a room by themselves, the stand-up rehearsal may serve as the catalyst they need to air the unmentionable. Dad jokes and childish poo references clank intentionally in a script which presents the two actors with moments of bitter frustration, anxiety, comedy, tension and heartbreak. By the end, with a genuinely moving foray into the world of hope and what might be, the audience leaves with a modicum of optimism for the pair who in reality have endured a heartrending diagnosis which presents a complex minefield of emotional responses which they must face together but also tackle individually.

Bryony Shanahan’s taut direction of her players, enables them to retain the care and compassion for each other which the script continually tests with its fractious misunderstandings and strained arguments. This is particularly effective in the steady montage of black-out vignettes which come thick and fast towards the closing stages of the play, leaning heavily on the expertise of the set, lighting and sound design team.

An uncomfortable watch in many respects, but a solid theatrical achievement in a confined and intimate space. I'M NOT BEING FUNNY runs 90mins straight through and continues at Bush Theatre until 13th June.