EDINBURGH 2013 - BWW Reviews: PUNCHLINE, Space @ Surgeons Hall, August 13 2013

What is funny, and what drives people to try and make others laugh on stage. Ross Ericson's new comedy PUNCHLINE tries desperately to find the answer - and never quite succeeds.

Comedy about comedy is hard to do well, it's like the proverbial sausage factory - just give us the bangers and hide what goes into them. Part of the problem with PUNCHLINE is that it can't quite decide what it wants to be about. There's a cast of three: Brad (Ross Ericson), Clive (Ian Mairs) and Adam (Director Ashley Alyman) - they could be flatmates, they could be a comedy writer's inner monologue, it's never entirely clear. For a while it seems to be about the motivations that push people into the spotlight as Adam seeks help in writing his first set. Is the need to make people laugh as a defence mechanism against bullies, or to make some girl like you.

But then the cast suddenly break the fourth wall for monologues on offensive humour and the inherent comedy in tragedy - seemingly purposely trying to make the audience feel uncomfortable.

But there are no deep revelations here, merely clichéd jokes about schadenfreude being typically German, and observations about the fact that it's OK for black people to use the N word, with no discussion as to why that might be. The repeated attacks on comedians such as Ricky Gervais seem particularly misplaced; sure, he's not everyone's cup of tea, but it begins to smack a little of jealousy.

Early in the show when analysing an attempt to write a five-minute comedy script two cast members point out that it's simply not funny, and at best occasionally mildly amusing. If only that were the case.

"Punchline" runs at 1305 until August 24th at The Space @ Surgeons Hall

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