Charlie Baker – Freshly Baked

Family is very much at the heart of this one-man variety show by the ludicrously talented Charlie Baker, the light-footed comedian who found mainstream fame last year by winning BBC1’s Let’s Dance For Comic Relief.

From his sister who “cheated” her way to fame in the Military Wives choir group, to his mother who sends him mixed messages about his weight, there’s barely a relative not brought centre stage during Baker’s set.

His Devonshire upbringing is also mined in the name of entertainment, with a memorable anecdote about his first kiss a singular highlight. His early forays into the world of showbiz provide further laughs. He’s not embarrassed to reveal his lowly beginnings playing a crab in an ill-fated pantomime – an anecdote which ends with a delightfully underplayed sight gag.

At the heart of the show is the issue of confidence and childhood loneliness. He admits that he was not the most popular of children; his tap-dancing, love of jazz and over-confident exterior setting him apart from his peers. It’s a problem he’s clearly outgrown as it’s practically impossible not to warm to the grown-up Baker. He is a gregarious labrador of a man; eager to please, with the inevitable dancing and some impressive singing complementing the quips.

The quality of the jokes is not always up to the standard of his showmanship and there’s an over-reliance on cheap puns, but as he leaves the stage drenched in sweat it’s impossible not to applaud his efforts.