Comedy review: Al Porter in Campus Maximus

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Al Porter's mammy laments his move from the intimate Pleasance Cabaret Bar, where he earned an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination last year, to the Underbelly's Cow Barn, imagining the blandly-named, greater capacity venue indicates a fall in circumstances.

Al Porter - a blend of fretro showbusiness sheen and ribbald filth. Picture: Barry Mccall

Underbelly Med Quad (Venue 302)

****

Yet she may be wiser than her son allows. Because the high-ceilinged lecture theatre and an early evening start does Porter few favours, his blend of retro showbusiness sheen and ribald filth unquestionably requires the lights a little lower and the audience looser with drink and their inhibitions.

Regardless, the 24-year-old Irishman is a trouper of the old school, prepared to go down singing with the cruise ship if need be.

It doesn’t come to that but he has to scramble, blasting through his material at a frenetic rate, relying on a if-you-don’t-like-that, you’ll-like-this approach which, fortunately, he has the depth and quality of gags to ­sustain. His Roman toga-attired band having played him on, he roams the stage or perches, Dave Allen-style, atop his high chair.

At once endearingly down-to-earth, still living at home with his parents and poised to make a fool of himself with Roger Moore, he nevertheless moves in rarefied circles now – taking advice from Graham Norton, rubbing Jimmy Carr up the wrong way and engaging in a game of charity one-upmanship with Brendan O’Carroll – emphasising punchlines for the supposedly slower or more innocent sections of the crowd.

Anecdotes about being gay in Dubai and “pink ­collar” boxing are elevated by well-crafted lines and Porter really settles into his rhythm with tales of his religious and parental instruction, achieving gasps for an outré Prince Diana routine. The band can’t truly justify the expense of their presence. But the determination to entertain is part of Porter’s versatile charm, a finely crooned The Curtain Falls proceeding a closing romp through In The Navy.

Until 27 August. Today 6:45pm.