Ed Gamble: Gambletron 5000

Many people will know this already, but Ed Gamble is a safe bet. It's been seven years since he started working with Avalon stablemate Ray Peacock, so he's had quite a lot of bedding in Fringe-wise. Gamble's debut may feel like a long time coming, but good on him for biding his time - some comedians don't and they regret squandering that debut moment.

The result of this prudence is a pleasing hour showing that Gamble has range: quick quips and longer stories, youthful exhuberance and ebullience, but also the abiity to vary the pace.

Unfortunately this range doesn't really have much in the way of shape. It's sort of about Gamble being badass, but then again it isn't. Does it matter? Even the most throwaway conceits can be overlooked if everything else hangs together. Trouble is it doesn't quite.

Gamble's diabetes, his trip to Detroit, his reluctant participation on a lads' weekend and consequent hijinx are disparate elements sometimes held together with slightly giddy overstatment and material that doesn't always do him justice.

Where he does do himself justice, he's using insightful phrases and conjuring some memorable imagery. Gamble teeters on the brink of making his story protagonsists—such as the posh Ruperts and Henrys on the lads' holiday—fully dimensional, and would surely find more mileage if he coloured them in a bit more.

This debut suggests Gamble has more colours on his palate and that, despite his patient wait for a debut, he will be bringing his canvas out again soon.