Ken Cheng: Chinese Comedian

This show's distinctly prosaic title is in no way reflective of its content. On just a couple of occasions does Ken Cheng refer to his race, and only then it is used as a tool to expose and condemn the prejudices heaped upon other minority groups. Instead, the words 'Chinese Comedian' are indicative of the performer's deadpan manner and the uncluttered precision with which he delivers his punchlines.

A promising mathematician who dropped out of Cambridge University so he could apply himself to online poker, Cheng's approach to comedy is surprisingly mercurial. Rather than attempt to reduce humour to a precise formula, he litters his set with all manner of idiosyncratic observations, going off on odd tangents at the expense of the show's overall structure. He seems to think his unfocussed pedantry will amuse the audience as much as it does him, and for the most part his faith is rewarded. Cheng may be lacking in delivery and stage presence, but he's a strong writer whose quiet self confidence is transfixing.

It has to be said though that our hero doesn't always have the audience laughing. There are stretches of tonight's show in which he loses us thanks to jarring changes in subject matter and protracted multimedia presentations which fail to build any real sense of momentum. It's at these moments that his schtick feels over-scripted and we wish he could do more to address the shifting mood within the room, to respond to the variables that make live comedy so exciting.