Review by Mickey Noonan

Angelos Epithemiou isn’t what you’d call a crowd pleaser. His deadpan, cantankerous anti-comedy involves just three gags, the gaps in between filled with awkward banter and bad takes on light entertainment. All of which makes for fine character comedy, as Renton Skinner, the man behind the reluctant, Asperger’s stand-up, tests the audience’s patience to hilarious effect.

The method has served him well and his regular telly slot on Shooting Stars with kings of the non-sequitur, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, ensures that the Latitude comedy tent is packed with punters who ‘get’ him and lap up Epithemiou’s insults and poker-faced diatribes.

Shuffling onstage in his trademark anorak, too short trousers, too long tie and enormous bins, Epithemiou resembles the kind of bloke you’d hope wouldn’t sit next to you on the bus. Clutching his carrier bag of props as if it’s a security blanket he delivers a series of beautifully judged mis-gags, from a spectacular sing-a-long, in which the audience is encouraged not to join in, to his, um, interesting tirades on the MPs’ expenses scandal and the impending environmental meltdown.

Epithemiou is an expert at killing the atmosphere and does so whenever the crowd appears to be enjoying themselves. Messing with the tempo at such a sprawling gig is a brave move – but one that pays off. A quick-fire round of spot-on impersonations (Chris Eubank, Bruce Forsythe, but not Hitler – ‘as if I’d do him!’) get the audience onside for Epithemiou’s finale to Mud’s The Cat Crept In, which is possibly the biggest test of endurance yet, as our ham-fisted hero mainly stands still for the song’s duration. It’s a perfectly uncomfortable end to a wonderfully graceless set.

Review date: 25 Jul 2010
Reviewed by: Mickey Noonan