‘Calmy anticipated’ is how Grimsby’s Chris Rutter drolly describes this, his Fringe debut, and that tone very much informs the subsequent show. His whole set is calmly delivered, solid gags with similar beats, like a DJ who’s ended up doing afterclub wind-down sessions. Actually this would probably work perfectly at about 3am, straight after one of those boisterous late night mixed bills. The comedy comedown.
That said, the subject matter is anything but cosy. He gets onto Anne Frank and Grenfell along the way, while managing not to cause huge offence. The whole opening section, a controlled avalanche of clever wordplay, is about the youthful-looking comic fancying old people, and that thread continues until the slightly underwhelming ending – an acted-out version of a popular song that could probably do with another verse, or two, once he gets into position.
That’s one of only two physical bits across the hour, and a few more wouldn’t go amiss, as the big laughs – like his mythical lady friends – do die off towards the end; low energy in an increasingly hot room. But there’s potential here. Rutter knows his way around a joke, and packs lots of them in, so you’ll probably enjoy several, at least.
Chris Rutter: Ignorance Is Chris, The Stand Comedy Club, until 30 Aug (not 17), 4.35pm