Show Rating:

Craig Campbell has had a haircut. Gone is the mane of hair that made him look like Grizzly Adams, replaced by a tidy trim and a well-manicured moustache.

The smartened-up Canadian makes the audience feel instantly at ease, joking with other foreigners and delving into his mental comedy library to include each nationality. He seamlessly weaves the audience in to his material, even if it means departing from his planned script at times.

He jumps around the world sharing stories from New Zealand, Canada, and the UK – but it feels as if he never really gets started. His stories are entertaining, but lack some of the tension he has built in previous shows.

Halfway through, as he was meandering through another tale, I could not help but wish I was seeing him in a late show, especially one that is going wrong. Campbell is at his best when he is arguing, passionate and riled up.

As a comedic sociologist the has an insightful ability o hold a mirror up to the countries he’s visited and show people exactly as they are. I found myself nodding to myself as he described my fellow Kiwis, hitting the nail on the head. He is never derogatory either, never going for the easy laugh by foreigner-bashing, instead taking a little more time and effort which pays off.

He’s a naturally crowd-pleasing act, offering an entertaining hour.

Reviewed by: Rosie Carnahan