Dave Gorman at the New Theatre, Oxford, review

By Dominic Cavendish Published: 12:07PM GMT twenty-three February 2010

Previous of Images Next Frustrating miss of a nutritious theme: Dave Gorman Photo: BBC Frustrating miss of a nutritious theme: Dave Gorman Photo: BBC

The full tongue-twisting and somewhat irritating pretension of Dave Gormans ultimate show is Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up. It owes the origins to the Staffordshire-born comics preference last year to debate from venue to venue, right opposite the UK, wholly by bike. Very eco, rather macho - and wholly in keeping with his tendency, as witnessed in acclaimed, travel-heavy concept-shows such as Are You Dave Gorman? and GoogleWhack Adventure, to think outward the box.

The usually difficulty is that, since the stand-up transport Gorman is essentially peddling at the moment, the pretension is entirely misleading. Hes no longer utilizing two-wheels to get to each gig and hes not articulate about his odyssey in performance. This wouldnt be estimable of criticism or such a source of exasperation if Gorman didnt broach an dusk which, however technically achieved and passably diverting, suffers from a frustrating miss of a nutritious theme.

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Gorman, 38, is genial, animated, earnestly focused on engaging us and allows no second of tardy to come in a set so firmly scripted youd swear hed even rehearsed the breaths he draws in between sentences. He complicated maths at university and hes zero if not expect in his preference of difference and the make up of his riffs. Unfortunately, rather similar to a maths highbrow - and the cardigan, tie, and brave support in this sense - theres a prevailing, 70s-retro beigeness about his act.

Blandness sets in quickly during the softly amusing, faintly insignificant initial half, in that he quickly dallies with such subjects as his dads naivety, the inessential inlet of necessary oils, the unsuitable audacity of carrot-cakes and those Blue Peter milk-bottletop collections of yore. He flatly informs us that, in comedy, youve got to be loyal to yourself but what is he being loyal to here?

Things get some-more engaging in the second half when he delivers a self-mocking comment of how, unfortunate for material, he toyed with the thought of popping his house-keys in a post-box - usually to get held up in a farcical, if logical, turn of unintended consequences. More revelation and erotically appealing still was the sudden, assumingly out-of-character rootless of fury he threw nearby the finish of the show at Oxford when a integrate of front-row spectators refused to do his harmless bidding. His indignation was terrifying in the fury, refreshing to behold. If I were Gorman, Id sense from that outburst, siphon up the aggro and emotionally freewheel a lot some-more subsequent time I strike the road.

Dave Gorman tickets at Tickets