Denis Krasnov's Hour of Intellectual Filth

In the run up to this show it was hard to miss some of the less than complementary reviews surrounding this NYC-based Russian comic's show (particularly if you happen to keep an eye on his Facebook activity where he has been masochistically posting his one star appraisals).

Krasnov is therefore more relaxed than he has any right to be as he takes the stage to face a small and curious crowd. There's certainly a degree of incredulity present among them as his material veers from crude to downright ridiculous. More often than not you find yourself laughing whilst simultaneously shaking your head.

Is he offensive? Not as offensive as he'd like to be. Is it intellectual? In a word, no. Is it entertaining? Bizarrely, yes. Krasnov might be a genius on a bum run where reviews are concerned. He might also be a rambling lunatic, peddling a routine devoid of structure and substance. Yet he's an earnest and somewhat likeable performer possesing a dark thought process coupled with an affable stage presence. That being said, there is definitely a point where Krasnov should stop talking, take a bow and walk off stage. He outstays his welcome with some off-colour material not altogether clever enough to shock or amuse.