Damien Crow: The World According to Damien Crow

This is not Damien Crow’s audience. Mid-afternoon, shiny happy people – their mistake at having arrived here is openly noted in some moments of audience interaction. Actually, it is the audience interaction that kills today’s performance, both because Crow has been landed with a girl who seems to think we’ve come to listen to her, and because she’s often funnier than he is.

Crow’s Goth character is quite endearing in that way gawky teenagers in a stage of pathetic rebellion can be, but I’m disappointed by the lack of originality. Ask anyone what a Goth is like and they’ll say the same things - it would have been nice to see some fresh input into this well-mined subject. There really is only so far you can go with the surface-skimming subjects of self-harm, ludicrous band names, a penchant for black, and intentionally appalling tortured soul-type poetry.

There are some good moments, particularly a slideshow of family photos and some fabulous dance moves, but overall the show falls flat. There is a nice surprise at the end – it turns out Crow is a dab-hand at the accordion – but aside from that it is an unfortunately stale hour.