Franz Kafka’s life and writings are synonymous with angst, failure, guilt, crippling self-doubt, and Life’s essential meaninglessness. 

But he could also be a bit of laugh, as Jack Klaff demonstrates in this impressive one man show revived to celebrate the centenary of his death. For 90 minutes he takes us on a voyage around his near namesake in some 60+ roles, adopting accents, personalities, and physical stylings. (Some readers will already have calculated that the average time per speaking character is some 1.5 minutes. We trust the Guinness Book of Records is all over the figures.)

Klaff resurrects not just Kafka himself but also family and friends, lovers and creations. As if that were nor enough he impersonates others who had something to say about the Czech fabulist. People such as Albert Einstein, Alan Bennett, Albert Camus, and Anthony Perkins, to mention just some of the A listers.

Back in 1987 Bennett himself estimated that there were some 15,000 books about Kafka. That number must at least have doubled by now. And of course there is that Internet thing. Can we even get close to knowing a man whose life was, and still is, disputed and his body of work possibly incomplete because suppressed or disowned by it creator?

Jack Klaff sets out to conquer this mountain of material. He selects, orders and presents it so that the evening is exceptionally intense experience. We are in the intimate space of the Finborough Theatre. Its tiny stage is bare except for one four-legged stool and the subtle play of lights and Klaff himself who is almost literally in our face. It is fascinating to see an accomplished actor at such close range performing a feat of memory and stamina, conviction and commitment. (But at least two of us have never seen a man in a suit wear shoes knotted on the side before. Is this also Kafkaesque? we wonder.)