Review by Julian Hall

The academic appearance of Italian comedian Giacinto Palmieri befits a show that sometimes feels more like a course in linguistics than a stand-up set. A protracted focus on idioms and sayings seems to flag up the tell-tale sign that Palmieri has taken a comedy course. Either way he has carefully built out his material so it can fill an hour, even if this hour sounds very similar to his Free Fringe show Italian Misfit last year.

  Despite the comedy-by-numbers approach Palmieri, a finalist in the Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year competition this year, is charming and has an eye and an ear for what is funny. It’s only a shame that he can’t follow through on ideas, for example he tells us that in the Naples v Verona Italian football fixture the Neopolitan fans goad the Veronese by proclaiming that Juliet (of Romeo and Juliet infamy) was a slut.

His illustration of how this might translate in the Premiership fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United is a weak ‘comedian’s answer’ and I can almost hear that being explained to him in the comedy course he may or may not have taken.

  In Palmieri’s dissection of language there are some nice morsels to be had, the mis-spelling of ‘penne’ on a menu, for example, gives rise to some anatomical humour – which is a banker ­– and his adulation of Gianfranco Zola as someone as nimble with his phrasal verbs as he was with his feet is warm and witty.

  When he’s out of his formulaic straight-jacket and roaming free Palmieri could be interesting to watch, and while this is not the most rewarding of shows it is a decent enough base. Putting it together it will give him the confidence to be braver next time.

Review date: 11 Aug 2010
Reviewed by: Julian Hall