Review by Steve Bennett

He makes no secret of the fact; starting the show by explaining how he only got into stand-up for a bet after a colleague told him he was ‘quite funny’ and ought to try his hand at comedy. One course, a gong show, and a small handful of open mic gigs later and he’s presenting a full-length show.

In fact, the first 15 minutes or so seems to be spent explaining this, giving the audience every reason not to have faith that he is in the least bit qualified for the job. Being self-deprecating is one thing, but this undermines his entire status as a comedian.

His day job, he tells us, is as a corporate speaker, which, he tells us, is where he learnt his stagecraft. Even so, he delivers much of the show from the very corner of the stage, out of the light. And because of the world from which he has sprung, he has brought along the obligatory PowerPoint presentation. There’s no reason for it, it’s just a crutch – and he has to force his material into a laboured structure just to justify it.

The truth is Hogan has about five to ten minutes of half-decent material, drawn from personal anecdotes, mixed in with a few routines that are similar in outlook, but worse in execution, to what other comedians have done before. But even the good segments – which tend to be of Meet The Parents-style embarrassment - are woolly and unfocussed, not honed into shape by the acid-test of putting them in front of audience after audience, with punchlines that are often lost because he hasn’t delivered them quite right.

He certainly can talk – as you might expect given his background – but frequently without appearing to know exactly what path his monologue’s taking.

He is, in fact, exactly where you would expect a rookie act to be. He’s got some clue about what might be funny, but just hasn’t got the gig experience to perfect it. Nor is there any way to fast-track that, aside from performing night after night after night.

Time and again his inexperience shows. He asks if anyone in the audience works in medicine. Yes, says one chap, I’m a surgeon. Hogan is stumped – even though it’s one of only a few answers that question could possibly elicit.

Hogan is bringing this show to Edinburgh, but there’s little hope it will be ready in three months’ time. Three years, maybe – and even that would be impressive, given that it takes most comics at least that long to have a reliable 20 minutes, let alone an hour.

Comedy might currently be a fun adventure for Hogan, but paying audiences shouldn’t have to indulge his overambition.

Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Brighton Fringe, May 2009

Review date: 1 Jan 2009
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett