Down To Clown

Jamal Guichon’s debut special lives in the awkward transition spaces of early middle age — specifically, being the “broke parent” in a divorce and realizing his Air Force service was basically being a sugar baby for Uncle Sam. His material is strongest when he looks at the grim financial and domestic realities of his post-divorce life. A standout sequence features his son, Prometheus, trying to help out by handing over pennies for the laundry, immediately tipping Guichon off to the fact that his kid has already figured out which household has the money.

Shot live at The Davis Theatre in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, the 2023 release captured Guichon as he established himself as a central voice in the city’s comedy scene. He spent years building his act around his military background and his chaotic attempts at dating in his thirties. He touches on getting banished to a tiny pandemic studio apartment where the refrigerator is loud enough to interrupt intimate moments, and his complicated relationship with his girlfriend’s dad, who looks like a sheriff and behaves accordingly.