Lincoln Comedy Festival. Henning knows bestest; Henning Wehn at the Drill Hall.

A German comedian, that should be a barrel of laughs. Everyone knows the Germans have no sense of humour. That’s the central tenet of Henning Wehn’s act, that and, as he explains, the fact that we Brits have a stereotypical view of the Germans whereas they hold no such views on us. He then proceeds to list several stereotypical German views of the Brits, or rather the English although he has a good go at the Scots later. Strange that as the last time this routine was performed it was at the Edinburgh Festival. He’s such a charmer though that you do rather forgive him the jibes. Wouldn’t want the Germans to think we’d no funnybone would we? We’d sooner have a laugh than get on with our work was one of them. Well we certainly had a good laugh at this comedian, perhaps he’s a lot cleverer than we give him credit for.


Wehn tells how he came to this country, how he got into comedy. An affirmation that we can be kind and accomodating, only to knock us down a peg or two in the next breath. He’s totally unafraid of political incorrectness, that in itself is worth coming to his show for. Health and Safety takes a kicking. He shows us pictures of people dressed up in German uniforms, we laugh, slightly nervously. If it had been Jim Davidson he’d have been slaughtered. We also learned the Germans aren't too keen on the Dutch either, Bernard Manning revisited?

On he goes until he announces that he’ll do an encore if we repeat some words he offers us, the audience repeat them timidly, fearing a set up. It isn’t and he does the encore. Ruthlessly efficient these Germans; and funny. Yes definitely funny.