Original Review:

Show Rating:

After a bumpy start, in which we aren't given enough time to read the flash cards introducing the show, performance poet Paul Lyalls settles into a routine of one-liners and longer stories.

The problem is the stories tend to drag on with few laughs within them, before finally reaching a punchline. The pay-off is always funny, often very witty and clever, but never justify the overly long set-ups Lyalls seems so fond of. Maybe this explains Lyalls' penchant for humorous poetry, where the gag is secondary to rhyme and rhythm.

Lyalls is affable and has a wonderfully strong and eloquent voice, which adds a great sense of majesty and faux-seriousness to his performance - but the material is just very pedestrian.

It's an enjoyable enough show but tends to just wither around with no purpose or laughs. If you're a fan of performance poetry you might get a little more out of it, but if you're looking for big laughs it's best avoided.

Dean Love