Charles Booth: Deer in the Spotlights

Character comedy is traditionally an opportunity to showcase the versatility of a performer. Under the loose premise of a literal deer caught in the headlights of a truck, Charles Booth has a variety of lives pass in front of his roadkill's eyes before it meets its maker.

What begins with a dance mime piece from the perspective of a giant phallus and a variety of differently motivated sperm segues into a skit about a mad scientist who laughs maniacally at his own dastardly plots, chiefly concerning placing Daily Mail articles and fast weight loss stories. The concept is a little jarring at first but we soon get the hang of it.

Booth chatters through his collection of showpieces with a few recurring themes – including the politically questionable notion of "transracialism", in which someone born into one ethnicity feels they belong better in another – and throws himself—sometimes physically—into each character. Unfortunately the laughs are just too few and far between, and the material not strong enough to carry the show.

There is one standout character, a depressed and washed-out northern comedian subverting known gags and taking them to darker destinations. Booth plays well here and lets himself seep into angry despair with entertaining results. But for the most part, this is a showcase for Booth's versatility as a performer. He can sing, dance, act and throw his all into a plethora of accents, as well as being a dab hand at costume and staging. With all the rigmarole covered, it's just a shame more time wasn't spent on punchlines.