Does Rebecca Paul agree with the constant five-star reviews she's seen on posters?
Last year the poster for Andrew's show caught my eye - no small feat for a city which is papered with the things. Five-star reviews are relatively rare, as we'll they should be, but this particular comedian had at least ten such reviews making his case on his poster so, heady with anticipation, I made a point of catching him this year.
I can see the attraction. Maxwell's topical socio-political humour in That's the Spirit (****) is bang up to date dealing with British nationality (past, present and future), religion, politics and, an essential subject this year, the Olympics. There's a relaxed and wandering narrative to the performance; Maxwell reminds me of a less loquacious Dylan Moran, though this is meant as no insult.
Amongst his comedic observations, Maxwell sprinkles accents and impressions upon his audience to huge applause. I ached with laughter at his gay Leither accent which appears from nowhere in his routine and is both painfully and alarmingly accurate—as is his accompanying mincing and camp gesticulation. Maxwell possesses a natural observational talent and it's fun to shift from his one-liners to his longer stories with some impressions in-between.
The show is not consistently laugh-out-loud funny and there are moments where the humour lulls, though never does it ebb away. That's the Spirit is a strong, skilled and varied comedy show which easily punches above many of its rivals at the Fringe this year.
Andrew Maxwell plays at the Assembly Rooms at George Square at 9.05pm until August 27
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