Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Ian Smith’s had a good year, which he fears might be kryptonite for his stand-up, given how much solid-gold material he got last year from his mental breakdown. Stress is funny - you only have to look at Basil Fawlty or Victor Meldrew to see that - so will contentment mean the comedy fuel has run out for Goole’s finest?

Well, that’s to underestimate just how wound up the worrywart Smith can still get by the smallest things, from porridge preparation to a poorly packed vending machine. And as he surprisingly finds himself middle-class, new experiences are sent to try him all the time, such as skiing.

Then there’s the big anxiety-inducing issue. At 36 he’s been trying for children to no avail, so went for a sperm analysis. And, as he admits, he wouldn’t have mentioned it had it gone well.

Smith is not the first comedian to get mileage out of this dignity-sapping experience and he won’t be the last, but given his persona as a scrappy underdog fighting against the humiliations the world heaps on him, it’s especially fertile ground. The dick jokes get supercharged by his mortification, while the uncharted situations he finds himself in provide plenty to spark his attention to absurd detail.

Though he projects the straightforward Everyman, baffled by the world, he’s a very keen observer of it. Flippancy and sarcasm are his response tools, often using a rigid logic to challenge or extrapolate a situation that seems to defy such reason into absurdity. That he doesn’t quite understand the world is the biggest punchline.

Smith’s not only a strong writer, but also a conscientious one. Every line is in immediate service of the next big laugh, which is never far away. He self-effacingly quips that there aren’t many real jokes in the show but there are more than enough, backing up the commentary with tags and callbacks aplenty.

That matches the momentum of his delivery, powered by nervous, sometimes indignant, energy that sets a cracking pace. The combination is relentless and irresistible, an hour of gimmick-free stand-up with a world-class gag rate.

Review date: 4 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club