Nick Mohammad: Mr Swallow

Review by Bernard O'Leary | 08 Aug 2012

The excellent character comedian Nick Mohammad has decided to limit himself to just the one character here, and it does feel like he's a little restrained. Mr Swallow is a cheery, camp Englishman with a passion for maths and a weak grasp on reality.

Bouncing around with the enthusiasm of a Cocker Spaniel, he talks us through a series of mathematical oddities, a game of Countdown and a hit parade of his favourite numbers. It's relentlessly funny and Mr Swallow is a very loveable character but the whole thing doesn't quite gel for some reason. There's a feeling throughout that Mohammed is throwing in some of his favourite bits without quite considering whether they're appropriate for Mr Swallow.

The one time he changes character is to do his landlady character, although here she's been clumsily rewritten as Mr Swallow's accountant. She's one of his best characters but feels lessened in this incarnation. All that said, it's a terrifically fun and funny hour of oddness and Mohammed finishes by demonstrating that he is actually terrifyingly good at mental arithmetic. Not the best showcase of this remarkable comic's talents but still well worth seeing.

Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow, Pleasance Courtyard, until August 26, 18:00, £12/£11 http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/nick-mohammed-is-mr-swallow-2012