Paul Sinha: Looking at the Stars

Having previously been labelled a "social commentator", Paul Sinha declares Looking at the Stars will have no "big message". Indeed, he points out how trite his previous Fringe-show epiphanies have been, including “live life to the full” and “don’t have sex with your pets”. Neither does he wish to be "topical", adroitly demonstrating how modern comedians pinion any news story back to their pre-prepared set. However, Sinha can’t help himself.

Piercingly intelligent and with a pliable wit, his material is political and frequently hilarious. He eschews the self-involved "projects" of other comedians for calls for social mobility. This may be why, when things take a turn for the personal, it doesn’t quite work.

Additionally, the grand theme of "looking at the stars"—living your dreams and aspirations—appears late. Unfortunately, due to Sinha’s wavering, it isn’t developed or earned. Although you can see the intended links, it doesn’t join up, leaving a collection of the exact platitudes he skewered earlier. In fact, Sinha is transfixed by stars of a different sort - celebrity comedians. As he points out, most of the world’s problems are caused by people more successful than him. In addition to taking pops at the likes of James Cordon, the centrepiece is a meeting with Jim Davidson.

One feels that, if fully committed to an overarching theme, this would have been a great show about taking modern comedy to task. With his sharp lines and 16 years of experience, Sinha certainly has the talent to do it. However, for the time being, his medium will have to be his message.