Andrew Lawrence: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!

It is often thought that self-deprecation deters even the most ardent heckler. While “high” comics like Jimmy Carr actively incite interruptions by sneering down their noses at the audience, those of the “low” breed such as Lawrence slyly pre-empt the insults by becoming the butt of their own jokes. Who'd have the heart to insult a weedy ginger guy who's already described himself as a “scrawny sack of disappointment”?

A pair of drunk women in the front row, is the answer, who are clearly thirsty for a taste of Lawrence's blood. "I don't know if you've understood the rules to this dear," quips the self-professed misanthrope after the third interruption. "I come out and talk, and you sit there and shut the fuck up." Though he deftly deflects the repeated heckles and generously offers the drunks a second chance, a burly Pleasance henchman is finally summoned to chuck them out for good.

Despite repeated interjections, the "creepy-faced" comic soldiers on heroically, delivering a stream of hilarious self-descriptions with remarkable rhythm and poise. A thick fog of gloom clouds everything Lawrence encounters, and his unfailingly pessimistic outlook produces flashes of brilliantly wry observational humour. It was his astute social commentary that bagged Lawrence an if.comedy nomination last year, rocketing him to the upper echelons of returning Fringe comics.

But the constant negativity of this year's set becomes rather wearing, with Lawrence attacking each new topic from exactly the same angle. Telegraph readers, office workers and hairdressers receive similar, but successful, treatment, but when the Catholic church comes into the firing line the show really starts to drag. Similarly, while the comic's crude imagery complements the earlier subjects covered, the technique becomes gratuitous as the quality of his material dips.

Though Lawrence's show this year may be rather lacking in imagination, his wonderfully dry wit and impeccable delivery make it worth considering.