Diane Spencer: Exquisite Bad Taste

Every time Diane Spencer says something in especially bad taste she sprinkles glitter into the air. It's a trick she learnt from burlesque dancers so people wouldn't get so offended. How far you like such self-conscious, Zooey Deschanel-style kookiness will probably determine whether or not you enjoy Diane Spencer’s set.

She may have the wide-eyed looks of a young Julie Andrews but this is couple with the mouth and mind of a pubescent boy. She is frequently accused of being overly-reliant on this disjunction in her comedy which is unfair –it may not be for everyone, but some certainly enjoy such a paradox. Her appearance does, however, have the effect of sanitising material that should feel more daring, more edgy although it's amusing to hear a perfectly groomed young woman talk with unembarrassed relish about excess body hair and masturbation. It becomes safer than in the hands of someone who looks less like Amy Adams.

It would be doing a disservice to Spencer’s material to suggest that it is nothing more than a pretty girl talking filth. She has some amusing and well executed anecdotes—a routine involving her drunk self leaving notes for her sober self is a highpoint—and a wealth of good throwaway lines. However, there really isn't anything particularly arresting or exciting about the hour; there are hits, there are misses, and it's an overall fairly entertaining show. Unless, of course, her style isn't to your taste.