Review by Graeme Connelly

Wobbling onto the stage in a frighteningly shaky way, Bobby Mair is funny just to look at. Thankfully when he speaks it only gets better.

His show is entitled Off Meds, and it is highly possible that Mair is just that, but shouldn’t be. He is the first to admit he can easily be mistaken for a crazy homeless crackhead, as he struggles to hold the microphone in one place in front of him. He trips over his words and has an alarmingly up-and-down gait to his speech. One minute quiet the next minute almost shouting, it really adds to his presence.

He uses the bizarre happenings of his everyday life and turns them into knockout material. This is standard practice maybe but Mair brings something extra to the table. He has extraordinary views to share and isn’t afraid to get dark. The audience lap it up like the dogs that his grandfather used to fantasise over... it’s that kind of show. Definitely not suitable for children and barely suitable for many adults, you would think, but the reaction in the room suggests otherwise.

Mair is all over the place on stage, visibly shaking and twitchy. He exudes a winning sense of unpredictability, too, the sense that he could say anything at any time.

It doesn’t feel like an act and it never feels threatening, just funny. When delivering his mixture of quickfire one-liners and well rehearsed routines, it comes out completely naturally. He isn’t waiting for the timing to happen to him. He is making the timing his bitch. Any jokes that slip under the radar or over the heads of the attentive crowd are quickly dismissed before he moves on to the next one. There is always a massive laugh just dying out or just about to start up.

But no matter what he says, like all great comics it’s the delivery that makes it worth listening to. Bobby Mair is rare in his ability to keep the audience completely captivated and fascinated, waiting for his next line with expectation. He's a real comic talent.

Review date: 6 Aug 2014
Reviewed by: Graeme Connelly
Reviewed at: Laughing Horse @ City Cafe