Alun Cochrane

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Don't judge a show by its title. Despite being lumbered with the tagline—Jokes. Life. And Jokes About Life— about as snappy as a Lib Dem election slogan, Alun Cochrane's show is anything but bland.

He has a keen sense for the absurd (a hilarious extended sketch about Meatloaf's eating habits is a particular highlight), but he comes into his own with his talent for sniffing out the single most inappropriate line that could possibly be said in any social situation. Some of the set-ups drag on, but Cochrane is able to create an atmosphere of real poignancy before shattering it with a line that is both horrifically crass and extremely funny. As the show progresses, Cochrane builds up a formidable rhythm, and turns in a barnstorming performance by the end of the show.

It's just a shame that it takes him quite so long to get there. The first 15 minutes are underwhelming, packed with mediocre Grumpy Old Men-style gags about Facebook. One line in particular, about how buying a new chair signifies a lack of desire to go out, comes straight from early-evening sitcom territory. There's also some material about Raoul Moat which avoids being simply offensive, but doesn't seem to be there for any reason other than to be vaguely topical.

Alun Cochrane has real talent, and by the end of the show he is working the room superbly. Unfortunately, while he's worth the wait, Cochrane always seems to be recovering from a slow start.