“Thanks for being at one of the sloppiest shows I’ve done in two years," solo artist Tim Motley said at the end of his opening performance at the Vancouver Fringe.

In 2 Ruby Knockers, 1 Jaded Dick, Motley parodies film noir while performing magic tricks. But he started by repeatedly forgetting his lines. He messed up an extended card trick several times. And his mindreading was unimpressive and sometimes completely off the mark.

Still, amazingly, Motley saved the show (more or less) by staying unflappable and charmingly self-deprecating. His writing is less than hilarious—“I’m so jaded I can only orgasm at funerals”—but, on a good day, 2 Ruby Knockers could be a guilty pleasure.