Review by Steve Bennett

Neil Cole offers a tapas menu of comedy; a little burst of one-liners, then some observational stuff, then perhaps a little song, one bite-size morsel of a comedy genre after another.

Despite the mix of styles, he moves though it seamlessly and assuredly – and no wonder, he’s a radio regular who’s been around comedy a long time:  his former double act Hitchcock’s Half Hour won the Hackney Empire new act competition way back in 1998 and was a founder member of well-established sketch group The Pros From Dover.

With his debut as a solo stand-up, he hasn’t instantly found his voice – no surprise there – but with the strong writing his best material displays, that’s no great issue. He’s most at home with wordplay, which is frequently elegant, surprising and funny. He has plenty of witty gags you’ll want to try to remember for the pub, and they are real highlights of the show.

The observational segments are more of a mixed bag. Sometimes he demonstrates a McIntrye-like ability to describes the familiar so eloquently that it appears in a new light, anything from buying coffee to something more explicit. Other times, such as his routine about ‘status dogs’ or the running gags suspended on cards on stage, his comedy machinery grinds uncomfortably as it tries to wring laughs out of a idea that doesn’t want to yield it. And other times still, it’s somewhere in the middle – with a promising idea not quite fully realised, such as his keenly-observed take on how remnants of medieval speech survive today. Yes, really.

His stage presence and the little bits of musical business keep the show rolling along – so it’s something of a shame when it rumbles to a close after only about 35 minutes. This is clearly a work-in-progress show for Edinburgh; and what he does with the remaining 20 minutes or so will entirely determine whether this is a great show for that Fringe, or merely a decent one. But there’s a good solid core here, with a good showing of inspired hilarity, from an adept pro.

Review date: 23 May 2011
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Brighton Hobgoblin