Review by Steve Bennett

An able and witty comic, American stand-up Baker nonetheless struggled to find the audience's collective funnybone in this solidly amusing show.

Wrong-footed by the unresponsive, but fairly large, Monday-night crowd, he started apologising for failed gags and became somewhat frustrated when he didn't get the reaction he wanted.

Barker has worked for long enough on both sides of the Atlantic to know that British audiences aren't like US ones. Yet this seemed very much to be the American version of his act, with the overused technique of delivering punchlines in a measured baritone with his hand enveloping both mouth and microphone.

His material, though, was decent, if not innovative, and he was occasionally spontaneously hilarious

This could be a different show with a more up-for-it audience, but with this weary crowd it was really nothing special.

Review date: 1 Jan 2000
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett