Review by Steve Bennett

Dan Antopolski can be a brilliant gagsmith - a fabulous lateral thinker who can drop a pitch-perfect pun to astonishing effect, or go on a slighty surreal rambling into a world of his own.

Yet this is a pretty poor showcase for his talents.

The delivery is on the lazy side - and he has developed not so much a catchphrase as a catchgesture, shrugging off the more laboured moments with an exaggerated movement that seems to say: "It's not my fault."

Film and musical diversons, too, seem awkwardly handled and a little too self-knowing - especially those inserts involving more famous comedians

In fact he makes plenty of references to his own weaknesses - and in true modern, deconstructionist style makes references to flaws in the show. But surely it would be better to fix them, rather than just draw attention to them?

Yes, there are moments of searing brilliance, but the show is too loose, too self-conscious and ultimately too frustrating to do them justice.

In one of those knowing video exchanges (which turns out to be a really heavy-handed attempt to make a obvious point about journalists - not that I'm taking it as a slight), Antopolski indicates he knows that the show will get a three-star review. Bang on.

Review date: 1 Jan 2001
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett