Comedy review: Ian Smith: Snowflake

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Rug pulling from the first, Ian Smith's show title doesn't allude to the favourite liberal insult of conservatives but is a literal reference to a recent holiday he took in ­Norway.

Underbelly Med Quad (Venue 302)

***

The affable Yorkshireman offers a vivid travelogue of his solo trip to Tromsø, ­elevated by his wry, self-­deprecating reflection on his ­misadventures. There’s little in the way of horizon-­broadening insight to be gleaned but he’s an ­amiable guide, interspersing ­anecdotes with pop ­history factoids to bulk out tales of him crashing a dog sled and seeing the Northern Lights.

Elsewhere, he paints an entertaining picture of the social awkwardness that saw him come a cropper in Top Man, his drastic action against his neighbour’s wind chimes, and the flapjack obsession that’s become one of his defining ­characteristics.

Appreciating the whimsical vengeance that ­ordinary ­Norwegians visited upon mass murderer Anders ­Breivik, Smith also likes to spin real scenarios into ­gently offbeat ones, his ­fiancée’s ­coeliac disease ensuring that he goes to extreme lengths just to eat normal bread. Upbeat to the extent of jauntiness, Smith won’t burden you with anything weighty or provocative, with Snowflake a breezily delivered, consistently amusing string of routines.

Until 27 August. Today 5:15pm.