Show Rating:

This is simply the best unadulterated, gimmick-free hour of pure stand-up I’ve seen so far this Fringe.

Without obvious theme or structure, Nick Doody simply reels off one brilliant gag or observation after the next – sharp, intelligent and satirical, delivered with perfect timing, heartfelt passion and plenty of confidence.

Strange to think that after last year’s acclaimed debut, he was worried about the ‘second album’ syndrome of trying to write a worthy follow-up in just a year. And just when he was fretting the most, the comedy God gave him an embarrassing medical condition to talk about.

Truth is, however, that he didn’t need such an intervention. This subject takes but a fraction of the barnstorming set. Doody proves he works well to a deadline, producing a smart, wide-ranging hour in the past 12 months.

Some things were a godsend: the failed terrorist attack on Glasgow airport, for instance. Every comic talks about it – it’s part of the job – but Doody takes an approach no one else does. Likewise he rails expertly against the knee-jerk offence people take whenever a joke mentions, even in passing, a contentious issue.

During this well-informed and fast-moving hour you’ll also learn why ecstasy is like soya milk, why asylum-seekers are the only people with the right to say they’re proud to be British and how Wiggles The Naughty Worm explodes the theory of reincarnation.

Yes, there’s occasional whimsy here, to cushion some of Doody’s more vicious barbs, which his natural, enthused delivery also helps to achieve. And away from the taught script, he improvises brilliantly around the comings-and-goings of the audience and people passing by the venue’s open door.

That’s unexpected because Doody is primarily a writer, and it’s his lean, intelligent, challenging jokes that impress so much - although his observations on apparently more mundane topics such as the Big Brother racism row and his inept attempts at skiing also generate the laughs.

Towards the end, once he’s established his point of view, he produces some of his most audaciously bold routines, which never forget to be funny as he pushes the envelope of taste, but always with good motive. It’s a strong climax to a strong show. Go see.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett