Jonny Sweet: Let's All Just Have Some Fun, Pleasance Courtyard

Julian Hall
Wednesday 11 August 2010 00:00 BST
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Sporting a bow tie and a broad grin, Jonny Sweet, genius of socially awkward comedy and winner of last year's Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer, has found another poor unfortunate to bring to life. Imagine a Hugh Grant type with "street Tourette's" ("let's do this shit!") and you'll have some idea of the persona he's created.

The magic partly relies on man and Powerpoint working in total harmony. Technology is crucial to the premise of the show – a lecture about the fortunes of HMS Nottingham – generating a level of hilarity not commensurate with the dryness of the subject.

"That's just the cabbage – here comes the broccoli!" he announces as he introduces a section about life aboard the warship. Sweet giddily races through his lecture before ending it prematurely. This prompts the already awkward host to find anything in his other computer files that might fill the remaining time. This includes his business ideas such as a pointless mnemonic to remember the alphabet ("Arnot Bought Certain Doors..." etc).

The aborted lecture ploy is risky and scrappy. Some of the chaos looks real, and either way the audience is less sure of the show given the seamless gag-making of the first 30 minutes. Nonetheless, the meltdown strategy is not that risky. Sweet sails home with another clever and funny Fringe foray under his belt.

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