Jason Cook - "Joy"

The Fringe is at its most charismatic when it reminds us of the foundations upon which it was built. When you find yourself in a tiny, sweaty room with 20 tipsy strangers and the comic you have paid to see is practically sat in your lap, there is no option but to surrender yourself for an hour. When the comic in question has created a show so emotionally involving that tears are in your eyes for almost its entire duration, you know that you're experiencing live performance of the most raw and fascinating variety.

To describe Jason Cook's show, Joy as stand-up comedy would not be doing it justice. He has crafted a set that has all the emotional twists and turns of a great movie, avoiding the sort of material that is a staple in Fringe comedy. By keeping it deeply personal and telling us about his often bad luck-stricken family life, Cook gets to the heart of the most important reason for laughter: to react to the harsh world around us by keeping the bad times in perspective.

Nothing here is gratuitous and not once do these stories feel contrived or thrown in for a cheap laugh. His warm Geordie delivery is impeccable, and the occasional moments of genuine sadness lend the show's conclusion an uplifting impact that this reviewer has never before experienced in Fringe comedy. You could buy two tickets to Cook's show for the price of some of the bigger names in comedy, so take a close friend and share in the buzz you'll almost certainly be feeling as you leave this great little show.