Josh Widdicombe: The Further Adventures Of

There will always be observational comedy, a medium requiring skills subtler than an incredulous “...what’s that about?” to remain engaging for an hour. Josh Widdicombe has mastered such skills and, though he repeats the formula relentlessly throughout his show, it doesn’t lag. 

In the fictional sounding Further Adventures of, Widdicombe indeed constructs a character; a consumer culture curmudgeon who’s stay-at-home status is frequently unsettled. The Devon native’s bracing dissatisfaction with everything on the high street is a highlight. “I just don’t think these things should be combined” he says, before mulching the names of various brands bizarrely placed side-by-side in shops and restaurants to a delightful and original effect. 

This anger at random couplings doesn't always ring true—tights sold in chemists are pretty useful really—while his targets are rarely novel. The 29-year-old could certainly have fresher material given his age; giant Toblerones, Wetherspoons, and cereal variety packs have been around a while. An iPhone battery-life gag proves more successful.

Widdicombe’s character is single-note, a shame when you consider his experience and positioning on the current circuit. Young, attractive and systematically ticking off Live at the Apollo, various TV panel shows and supporting Michael McIntyre on tour, the fact he has trouble dating and needs to be coaxed outside by his flatmate feels a little lazy. 

His irateness directed at everything also becomes exhausting due to a lack of variation; he's an undeniably confident performer, though, just one with often fairly well-trodden, mundane material.