Review by Steve Bennett

Cole Parker’s laddish set isn’t always inspiring or edifying in its choice of material.

The mix contains a smattering of all the requisite topics a modern stand-up might be expected to cover: tales of bad drug-taking behaviour, relationship problems and once-topical comedy about news stories people still remember are typical touchstones.

Some of the gags, too, you can see coming a mile off, although when he moves into more conversational segments, this isn’t so much of a problem.

But Parker overcomes these shortcomings by having the strong, posturing attitude of a comic – slightly arrogant, maybe, but providing enough of a brazen front to cajole a crowd on to his side.

He has a certain brash South London charm, and has the cocky stance to steamroller his material through unresponsive, or even slightly hostile, crowds. It’s something of a backhanded compliment, but you’d imagine him doing well in front of your typical mainstream Jongleursy audience.

Because although he may have a fairly utilitarian approach, the emphasis is always on getting the job done.

Review date: 1 Dec 2005
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett