Rob Deering: Boobs 2008

If there's one thing that's sure to attract laughter from a tipsy Fringe crowd hankering for comedy, it's boobs. So Rob Deering's new show – imaginatively titled 'Boobs 2008' – certainly wins no points for originality. However, if you're about to throw the man some respect for being so forthright in his comedic intentions, don't: this show isn't really about boobs, or cocks or anything else that might make you go LOL in the night – it's really a ragtag medley of popular songs altered for humorous effect and a chance for the comedian to showcase his, usually dextrous, talents with no agenda in mind.

It seems a shame that Deering's generally affable charm is slightly wasted on such thin material. Boobs 2008 feels like a work in progress, not quite fully realised before opening night. He trundles along through a series of gags without any gaining any real impetus or dedicated crowd support, very slowly building up to a climax that is the real highlight of the set - the problem is, it's taken us an hour to get there.

The dank interior of the Baby Belly caves doesn't really help the atmosphere either, despite its stoney grandeur. The leaky roof and musty odours, left festering for hundreds of years, simply don't complement the sunshine-and-smiles image that Deering's stage persona emits. This isn't poor comedy, however; it's just nothing new from a comedian that many Fringe audiences have seen before and, while it might please ardent fans, it's not likely to win Deering any new devotees.