Little Big Boy

Instead of leaning on the safe comfort of characters or sketch personas, Nick Kroll steps onto the stage as himself, building an hour around the high-stakes comedy of personal humiliation. The engine of the show is Kroll’s willingness to make an absolute fool of himself, specifically through detailed stories about gastrointestinal failures and his status as a self-described late bloomer. One of the strongest segments features his internal monologue being voiced by a hostile, imaginary Jason Statham, who regularly bullies Kroll in his own head. Filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., the 2022 release marked Kroll’s first stand-up special in over a decade, arriving at a point in his career when he was primarily known as the co-creator and voice behind Netflix’s animated puberty comedy Big Mouth. Rather than hiding behind a roster of eccentric characters, he uses this hour to examine his personal life, detailing a first heartbreak at age 33, his journey into pandemic fatherhood, and an awkward hypnotherapy session for snack addiction. Critics noted that while his transitions could feel choppy and the heavy focus on gastrointestinal mishaps was polarizing, the hour succeeded on the strength of Kroll’s expressive physical performance.