Comedy review: Geoff Norcott Is Good In A Crisis

Bitter-sweet laughs are therapy for Geoff Norcott at Camden Fringe.

Building an hour’s worth of stand-up around a series of unpleasant events – including the death of his mum from cancer – Geoff Norcott proves he’s no faint-hearted comic.

Not for him the barrage of one-liners or bonkers trajectories, although there are flashes of both in this work-in-progress aimed at next year’s Edinburgh Festival, played out in the snug Etcetera.

He picks up and runs with a selection of crises we’re all likely to encounter at some point, from the death of a pet to a night in A&E. But its heaviest focus is on his mother’s death and dealing with grief.

The odd funny observation is thrown in amongst the narrative, but understandably this is no rolling-in-the-aisles comedic assault.

He pokes a bit of fun at the grieving process, and the brief sojourn into the life and death of his dog is amusing enough, particularly an observational turn comparing a dogs’ home to Amsterdam’s red light district.

The odd burst of music is a nice touch too, giving another dimension to the comedy, and his delivery is engaging and he interacts comfortably with the audience.

But it’s hard to shake the feeling that Norcott started out on this show as a cathartic exercise, and is perhaps still a little too close to the subject to unearth the gold.

* Shown at the Camden Fringe Festival, Etcetera Theatre, Camden High Street, NW1, from August 7-9.