The Enterprise, Chalk Farm, London, 24/6/09

This stagnant summer heat is not the most conducive atmosphere for comedy, as it makes the audience reluctant to expend any unnecessary energy on laughing. But many of them know the promoter of this above-a-pub gig, held in aid of a couple of small children’s charities, and they are all happy to let the gags lap over them, despite the lethargy-inducing temperature.

A more metaphorical sort of warmth comes from Helen Arney, the sort of compere whose low-impact comedy also creates a cosy atmosphere, thanks to her engaging, twinkly-eyed stage presence. She doesn’t do many gags, but she’s quite a charmer.

What opening act Richie Amero was thinking, I don’t know. This stand-up newbie started of with the childish sort of ‘ha ha, you’re all gay’ low-level homophobia – then told us a story of how he once – get this! – received a text message by mistake! There wasn’t even a joke to it, even the text ‘Cool beans’ was innocuous, but it still took a lot of set-up. Very odd. He got a few slight chuckles with jokes that weren’t his, even if they were slightly rewritten from the gag book he took them from. He has a confident, if over-showbizzy, delivery; but the absence of decent material is fatal.

Don Biswas, in contrast, looked nervy and uncomfortable in the spotlight, and so as not to put too much of himself on the line, delivers a list of detached one-liners. There are a couple of fine gags in there, but the strike rate is inconsistent. However, the audience, happy to recognise some actual jokes for the first time in the night, respond well. He has a couple of self-deprecating quips about his Asperger’s, but generally wordplay is the order of the day, aided by the fun delivery device he uses, and subverts, in which he solicits requests for random numbers from his list of jokes.

Jane Bostock offered an audaciously dry set; full of deliberately over-long pauses and needless repetition of out-of-context phrases such as ‘Neutering helps prevent the spread of Aids among cats’ intending to reveal an inherent absurdity. The influence of Stewart Lee is obvious – though this is a difficult style to master and Bostock hasn’t yet the experience to nail it. But there are some enjoyable lines here, and her boldness of delivery certainly holds the attention.

After a break, Danny Davis also had a peculiar delivery, but his brusque approach initially appeared unwelcoming in such a good-natured room, though it’d probably be useful in a rowdier environment. He gradually eased up, and got a few chuckles, but not belly-laughs, with material of sometimes questionable taste, solid-but-unspectacular quality and unmemorable punchlines.

Fast-talking Sajeela Kershi babbles away effusively and engagingly, although there’s a lack of focus in the writing and the subject matter. The set feels like a random download of all that’s on her mind, and while there are certainly jokes in there, they would benefit from better rhythm and more considered timing. Some segments offer a tantalising suggestion that she has something interesting to say – on the rise of the BNP, for instance – whereas others, such as tattooing her backside, are a lot less less edifying.

Mild-mannered Adam Tempest has been hit and miss for the past couple of years, and tonight was no different. He has an amiable, chatty style that makes him good company, but the tales of his flatmates (a ‘rapey’ bloke and a South African woman with a fatally unsexy accent) are too often come across like entertaining party conversation that anything with extra comedy ‘oomph’. But then he will surprise with a cheeky gag to elicit a chuckle, rather than the smile that meets most of his routine. The tattoo parlour prank and condom gag, especially stand out.

You can understand why the well-spoken Mark Restuccia was headlining; as he had the verve and confidence of a seasoned pro, despite having been on the circuit for not much more than a year. It comes as no surprise to learn that he’s a voiceover artist by day – as he knows how to deliver material. But he’s less assured at dealing with the audience; when gags flailed, he complained that they were ‘usually bankers’ and didn’t quite understand the muted reaction he was getting. But in truth his often punny material was patchy and sometimes very predictable – though a good smattering stood out, too. He’s surely got the pizzazz to sell his wares to a pliant crowd, but without such support, the material wavered.

Published: 25 Jun 2009