Arj Barker - Let Me Do The Talking

It has been ten long years since Arj Barker last appeared at the Fringe – a decade which has seen the San Franciscan hit comedy pay dirt thanks to his role as Dave in HBO comedy juggernaught Flight of the Conchords. Sadly, on the evidence of this show, one thing he has not done since his last visit to Auld Reekie is write a few decent jokes of his own.

Taking to the stage with huge confidence, Barker is an assured performer oozing bonhomie and charm. Like an eager Labrador with tail wagging, he very nearly gets through this 55 minutes by sheer force of personality alone. But it is soon clear that things are not as they should be – and not just because he apparently thinks that Star Wars was released in 1978.

The fact that the biggest laugh comes from the impeccable timing of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo fireworks is damning enough. That the second biggest laugh comes from some fairly pedestrian ad-libbing about an audience member making a dash for the toilets seals Barker's fate.

His set is little more than a series of shaggy dog stories with interminable set-ups followed by payoffs which are at best artless and at worst hugely disappointing. There is little to tie these heavy-handed monologues together and no sense of getting to know the comedian on anything more than a superficial level.

It's a wasted opportunity for an obviously talented comedian and there's no mistaking the air of anticlimax as he leaves the stage after his final misjudged riff.