Lee Kern: Filthy Raucous Soul Bitch

Lee Kern introduces his set by assuring the audience that he’s not just some guy off the street whose Edinburgh debut was engineered by the Make A Wish Foundation. He is, he assures us, fit and healthy despite his slightly awkward stage presence and drawling voice that he attributes to regular overindulgences in illegal substances. There's something about his slouchy walk and darting eyes that sets the audience on the defensive from the outset, unsure of exactly what brand of standup to expect. With a show title that proclaims him "raucous", all but the plucky few have avoided the front row.

In reality, Kern’s material is very much from the 2010 school of popular standup. He covers the BNP, men’s libido and Justin Lee Collins through fairly predictable stories with fairly predictable punchlines in a manner that can be found in numerous smaller venues across the city this month. While lacking in writing ingenuity, Kern has a trick up his sleeve: he’s actually quite lovely.

Kern’s charm lies in his honesty and moments of vulnerability. He avoids fabricating elaborate and unbelievable scenarios, instead just spilling his guts on the stage and letting them lie there all gooey and, well, human. The show title and the smuttier stuff toward the beginning are incongruent with the rest of his act, and it is only when he relaxes into his own skin that the audience really warms to him. The tragedy is that by the time this happens, the hour has already almost passed.