Although the title is deceptive, and Pickar’s hour is more a monologue with jokes than a stand-up routine, there is a gentle seriousness to the show. Pickar was once a lawyer who worked on death row appeals (before running away to clown school, which isn’t that much of an influence on this performance) and while he is firm in his opposition to the death penalty, this is less a polemic than a commentary on his experiences, humanising the condemned and pondering the moral grey areas that defending them can be.
Each story has a few witty punch-lines, but the anecdotes are more interesting as reflections on the USA’s penal system. When a gay Jewish man finds himself defending a white supremacist, it is unsurprising that he isn’t chasing outright hilarity: there is a sense that Pickar is still trying to make sense of his experiences. Most of the humour comes from the disparity between his identity and lifestyle (he is also keen on improv comedy) and his work, and Pickar presents the inhabitants of death row as surprisingly compassionate and optimistic.
This will disappoint fans of dark comedy, but the subtle irony of the storytelling and the insight into the consequences of contemporary North American machismo politics make Getting Off worthy and valuable.
Josh Pickar: Getting Off, Assembly Roxy, until 30 Aug, 7.40pm