Hal Cruttenden: Climb Every Molehill

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“I really want to be a hard-hitting comic,” admits Hal Cruttendon, early in tonight’s set. “But I really can’t be bothered to do the reading”. Herein lies most of what you need to know about Cruttendon, a playful, affable Londoner who fires through mounds of well-delivered material without ever threatening to surpass the benchmark set by an army of three-star Fringe comics.

Chubby and slightly camp, Cruttendon cuts an endearingly shambolic figure on stage and instantly relaxes tonight’s crowd with a barrage of self-deprecation. Moving on to the theme of this year’s show, Climb Every Molehill, he explains that the set is loosely based around his obsession with the small things in life. These anxieties, he astutely observes, are better understood as a coping mechanism to block out the bigger issues that hang ominously over everyday existence. It’s a neat theme but Cruttenden seems afraid to explore it in any real depth, preferring instead to peddle more fleeting observational gags that ensure a healthy stream of laughter.

It’s a shame, really, because beneath the deliberately wishy-washy liberal persona, Cruttenden is clearly an accomplished performer. Although tonight’s show is consistently enjoyable, Cruttenden is both intelligent and capable enough to push the envelope further in the future.