Review: Andrew Lawrence, Basement, City Screen, York. (From York Press)

Review: Andrew Lawrence, Basement, City Screen, York.

10:44am Tuesday 15th November 2011 in Comedy By Jonathan Wilkes

The Best Kept Secret In Comedy is the immodest title of Andrew Lawrence’s latest show. It is, however, arguably true.

Curmudgeonly Andrew Lawrence, loved for garrulous and splenetic tirades, makes comedy look effortless as he builds unstoppable momentum.

He fell short of full speed at the Basement; in his own words “it’s been patchy”. It was raucous at times, but not his hypnotically enthralling best.

Ire-fuelled invectives were evident, as were funny voices, linguistic mastery, puckish giggles and self-deprecation, but his routine has certainly mellowed.

Is it to appeal to a more mainstream market? Does he not get as easily indignant? Whatever the reason, the show suffered from fewer irascible and breathless diatribes.

He sometimes struggled for the right words and fell back on the standard audience interaction he claims to reject.

There were moments of brilliance. His lengthy song about imagining what he would do to people in front of him in a queue was rhythmically angry, with a teasing edge and poetic prowess. His exquisite use of the English language and storytelling art made this a triumph.

His material, from weather to train journeys to babies, is actually immaterial, but his rants gives them equal vehemence and artistry.

As he did not, however, launch freely into acerbic barbs, jokes began to drag as he searched for a show-concluding laugh.

Maybe Andrew Lawrence’s comedy is becoming too clouded by the possibilities of mainstream success, but he is undoubtedly a star on the circuit capable of shining brightly in clear skies.