Comedy review: Jim Campbell: Nine-Year-Old-Man, Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 300)

As A 30-year-old, Jim Campbell is the new 20, he argues convincingly – part of a generation settling down later, living a limbo-like existence of arrested development and ambition.

Star rating: * * *

Sadly for him though, after getting his girlfriend pregnant, this clumsy, least manly of Essex men is having to grow up fast. A dreadful situation for him and “the girl in question” – a highly strung, high-maintenance harpy he’s spectacularly ill-suited to spending the rest of his life with – it affords a layer of drama to this enjoyable, if rambling, first solo Fringe show.

Campbell’s inadequacies – stretching from the duplicity of his Scottish ancestors to his perma-student status; inability to drink; relate to teenagers, the man in the street or his father – are piled on with incessant self-deprecation.

Along the way there’s time to appreciate David Attenborough, Zooey Deschanel and the foolishness of former East 17 singer Brian Harvey, delivering an hour of solidly entertaining routines that nevertheless feel slightly disconnected and like elements of various club sets strung together. Still, a decent debut.

Until 27 August. Today, 7pm.