Review by Steve Bennett

Proud Geordie Kai Humphries started his short set on wobbly ground, with all-too familiar gags about the glib morale-booster ‘whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’ or nicking flowers from roadside tributes. But he hasn’t yet settled on one particular style, and if you don’t like those lines, he’s also got whimsical surrealism and disproportionate rage in his armory, too.

In the first, he cannot help but sound like Ross Noble, the similarity of accent only drawing attention to the similarity of approach, but he does pull enough laughs out of his Narnia-based nonsense to make it work. But it’s the misplaced fury that comes off best, as he rants frustratedly about the big issues, such as the fake drawer kitchen designers include beneath the sink. The variety of approaches suggests he’s still got to define his distinctive voice, but there’s enjoyable stuff here.

Review date: 9 Jun 2009
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: The Dogstar