The Argus: fringe_2011_logo_red_thumbAfter starting out as part of a double act in 1997, Neil Cole focused on presenting motorsport for a while before reverting to comedy four years ago. But this time he's chosen to go it alone.

He mixed some older gags with straight-up jokes and slightly more detailed narrative ideas, working his way through nearly everyone in the room but thankfully avoiding me.

Some pop music-led moments were mildly amusing but no more than that, while two props he dangled from the ceiling were perhaps a notch higher on the funny factor. These were illustrations of a robin and the word “flush” on sheets of card, designed to break up longer routines, with facts about the bird and definitions of the word.

There was a distinct purple patch about halfway through that had the makings of a great sketch; a routine about buying takeaway coffee descended into a rant about, well, everything, and had the room in fits.

It's no easy task to perform to 20-odd people, and keep them entertained, but Cole managed it. By his own admission it “needs a bit of work”, and it was a tad short, but the fundamentals of a promising show were there.