John Hastings: Adventure

"Is he stand up, sketch, or character? I don't know anything about this guy." So runs the queue chat of one punter before tonight's show. It turns out that this is a prescient question as there is some calibration to be done of Hastings' shtick and persona.

The Canadian's storytelling jive is not immediately accessible. His dramatic tone and absurdist perspective don't at first seem like they will draw you in. However, when it is clear that this conceit is a constant one you submit.

The retelling of his post-Canada life story so far starts with a yarn about his little brother being picked on because none of his friends believe his brother is a comedian. It's slightly loopy and cartoonish, but a neat payoff propels us into the rest of his set.

Hastings' arrival in the UK is the cue for a few cultural observations with a theatrical twist. He imbues the warped British sense of romance with a Shakespearian legitamacy, futher highlighting his thespian impulses, before laying bare our more mercenary instinct with his Megabus odyssey.

This passage, and the tales that come after, play out with a mix of goofy hilarity and morbid fascination tempered with some searing turns-of-phrase that keep us on board and keep the funny on track. There's alway the risk that Hastings might veer off into a flight-of-fancy too far. That he doesn't do this is part of the reason why the build of this impressive debut hour is so intriguing.