Jamie Demetriou is so hot right now. From Stath Lets Flats to his scene-stealing cameo in Fleabag, the British-Cypriot comic’s fantastically strange style of comedy has not only won him Baftas, but also caught Hollywood’s eye: he starred in Apple TV Plus’s The Afterparty and is appearing Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming Barbie movie. Before Barbie, though: Demetriou’s biggest project yet, his Netflix musical comedy special A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou. The comic material is decidedly British, with a Netflix sheen: silly, but lacking the sharpness of Stath or his live sketch characters. It’s that attempt to straddle both worlds that leaves Demetriou’s comedy feeling surprisingly watered down.
In the opening scene, an adult Demetriou lies curled up in a ball, in utero. His life flashes before him in sketch form, the comic playing a lolloping child in a tight primary school uniform, an emotionally volatile best man organising a stag do, even a pensioner on his deathbed. It’s a great showcase for Demetriou’s comic range, his ability to transform with every role – sometimes to the point where, thanks to the excellent hair and make-up team, you don’t even clock it’s him.
