Gráinne Maguire's One Hour All Night Election Special

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To be in the same room as Gráinne Maguire when she hits her stride is to be swept up in crazed, infectious energy. Current audiences are unlikely to discover this, however, for like so many comedians at the Fringe, she's fallen into the trap of creating a show that adheres too slavishly to a self-imposed theme. Election Special, in which she attempts to evoke all the glamour, excitement and sexuality of televised election coverage, boasts exactly the sort of gimmick that Andy Zaltzman would use to great effect. Splitting the room into three constituencies and appointing a handful of audience members as hopeful parliamentary candidates ought to serve as a playful springboard from which the performer can explore all aspects of the country's democratic process. Unfortunately, Maguire has a tendency to labour over this conceit and is left with a disappointingly low gag rate.

When we are offered some political material, it's usually more superficial than one might have hoped given the show's premise, the comic speculating as to what certain high profile figures would be like to date or have as drinking buddies. Naturally, Gordon Brown is portrayed as a broken, pathetic caricature, while Cherie Blair is a drunk, cackling hag. Well-informed and passionate as Maguire is, she seems reluctant to comment on her subject with any bite. A disparate hour of self-deprecating anecdotes would have been a less ambitious route to go down, but it's only during these routines that she asserts herself as an exciting and original voice.