Review by Steve Bennett

Stuart Goldsmith’s a charming, nice-guy comedian – but he’s not so clean-cut as he appears. Or at least that’s the premise here.

Not that he’s truly nasty – that would have given the show a title the Edinburgh Fringe office would have been right to censor, rather than overreacting to this mildest self-admonishment. No, his prickish behaviour amounts to being so self-absorbed he never remembers anybody’s names, and indulging in a spate of one-night stands when at an emotional ebb.

Even if you do consider this moral turpitude,  Goldsmith is so pleasant and persuasive that you would surely forgive him. He puts these attributes to good use from the get-go, relaxing the audience quickly before taking the dynamic into amore interesting, and slightly weird,  direction as he pushes the old compere’s line about ending the night with an orgy just a little further than most people would be at ease with.

Comfort zones duly expanded, he’s free to make his own confessions, in what turns out to be a rock-solid hour of entertaining anecdotal stand-up. It’s not of particularly strong flavour, as Goldsmith is still essentially an amiable everyman despite his indiscretions, but there’s little to find fault with.

He further exploits his expertise at audience interaction during one of two keynote routines – about being the only man invited on a lesbian hen night and rather loving the attention  – by assuming one front-row punter is a die-hard homophobe; allowing him to create a running joke from the stereotypes he assumes his hapless foil is carrying in his head.

The other key routine is about a deeply unsatisfying one-night stand he had with a girl at a party, and even if his conduct wasn’t classy, the resultant routine – indeed the resultant show – certainly is.

With perfectly nailed timing and delivery, this confident and funny show from a hugely personable prick comedian is a strong hour of ungimmicky stand-up.

Review date: 9 Aug 2012
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard