Tiffany Stevenson: Optimist

Tiffany Stevenson tries to get a platonic flirt on with an audience member in the front row at the top of her hour. She's perhaps aware that she will need as much playfulness and levity as she can muster to drive this year's erratic material through.

After an uneven and unsurprising intro, Stevenson gets going with her framework and theme draping: namely, her recent need for a hospital operation, as well as her doctor's bedside manner, prompting her to wonder how much of an optimist she is.

More of an optimist than could be expected, is the answer; especially given that the comic has been through a rough time with the op, and has previously suffered bouts of OCD and suicidal thoughts. The nature of the subject matter is challenging comedically, but the material that meets it is often lacking in ambition. A pall of disilluisonment hangs over much of the show.

At various points Stevenson has to ask us to get on board the "bus to Funtown" and takes back ownership of jokes that turn out to be "just for her", as the familiar saying goes. That's always a bad sign. Well into the show, it feels as if she is still recovering from an earlier, protacted distraction arising from a sound bleed from another venue.

Her ending extols the virtues of the NHS and the fun you can have on the NRA website chat forums, shoe-horned social commentary that the previous routines can't adequately support. A disappointment after previous simmering hours; but Stevenson will surely recover.