Paddy Lennox: Who Does He Think He Is – Fringe 2009
Live Review

After the shock of temporarily forgetting his own name on a hospital visit, Paddy Lennox was inspired to ask, exactly what is in a name? How does it define you and how do you define it?

From his parents' contrary decision to call a boy who would grow up a Northern Irish Protestant Patrick, to him abandoning the surname Kane to get an Equity card, how much of your identity, he wonders, is tied up in your moniker? It's a thought-provoking theme for a show, rich with potential, but the end result doesn't convince as comedy.

Lennox is a sweet, occasionally over-earnest, performer whose acting background comes through more strongly than his stand-up experience. With an evident pleasure in the storytelling, he leads the audience through a PowerPoint tour of 400 years in the life of the Kane family.

There's his auntie in the Forties, looking rather racy as she poses on the beach in a bikini. Here's his grandfather, who flew planes in the war and nearly died after crash landing in a field. It's easy to imagine Kane's mum might be about to pop in to hand round tea and biscuits, such is the cosy, Sunday afternoon feel. 

Hoping, like we all do, to find evidence of heroics or scandal in his lineage, Lennox takes a DNA test but the results are disappointingly mundane. When he is told a relative of considerable note is buried in Westminster Abbey, however, a chain of discoveries are made that lead him to re-evaluate the person he thought he was.

If none of this sounds particularly amusing, that's because it isn't. It's sometimes interesting, occasionally poetic (as when he likens the death of his grandfather to a library fire) and often endearing, but it's not funny. It may have more success as a drama, but it would need some serious development.

As it stands, Lennox is too bogged down in his personal journey and neglects to explore the elements that might resonate with an audience. The family album of a stranger has fairly limited interest. While he may be fascinated to find out who he is, he needs to imbue his audience with the same enthusiasm.

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I saw Paddy at a rather odd venue in Fleet and he was excellent. Had us all roaring with laughter and a queue of people at the end trying to find out when he would next be back. Also some friend of ours saw him in AAA in Edinburgh and said he was hilarious there too. Great routine, lots of fresh material and a really nice guy to boot. Pretty cute too! Doesn't deserve the rather harsh review here.

Beth Pipe, September 2008

Paddy MCed at the King's Head August 28th and he did a great job. He's funny, likable and has an instinctive understanding of how to pace the evening. It also speaks volumes that he managed to encourage the new acts rather than take the cheap, easy laugh available by talking them down, which I have sadly seen too many times.

Colin, September 2008

Saw Paddy in Bracknell on Friday and he was a great MC, very funny guy, and catered well for the middle class crowd, would like to see his set if it's like his MC

Tony, June 2008

Excellent. Compered our latest gig and was as much an act as an MC. Very funny material combined with his cheeky delivery makes him a great crowd-pleaser.

Gordon Kent, March 2008

Mediocre.

Microsoftie, January 2004

Smooth and gentle like Mother's fair touch. This man is a real talent. He is distinctly un-Oirish, which I like. Too many Irish chaps get away with simply being Irish and therefore thinking they are funny by association.

Hamish, July 2003

He came up to do an open spot at my club last week and went down a storm. I'm still getting people asking me who he was a week later. Much better than this rather unfair review would have us believe.

Dan Smith, May 2003

Cow-jokes represent a hugely under-explored comedy genre. Lennox is doing groundbreaking work in his field.

Micheal, September 2002

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