Matt Green: Truth & Pleasure

By his own admission, Matt Green is not the coolest of cats. His baby face sets alarm bells ringing for barmen everywhere (he’s 30), he enjoys blind date features in free newspapers (he’s 30), and he's constantly itching for a new protractor during the back-to-school season (he’s 30). His stand-up style stems very much from this lack of cool: he is part of the newly popular breed of skittish spectators, the modern-day purveyors of observational comedy. Green’s show highlights the good and bad points of this brand.

He is a likeable chap and confidently performs material relating to his lack of confidence. As the show’s title Truth & Pleasure suggests, it is a relatively light affair all round. There is nothing groundbreaking or dangerous here, which is perhaps a good thing. Green is at his weakest when he touches upon current affairs - he has a few wry variations on a theme lined up, but after months of hearing the phrase “credit crunch” and its attendant gags, literally munching on hard cash can seem a nicer prospect than sitting through them again.

But Green is in his element when discussing the crazy goings-on of everyday life. Whether the subject is rat-kicking or ruler-shattering, he tells these anecdotes with more noticeable zeal – enthusiasm which rubs off on his audience. A real highlight is his rap finale, which allows Green to be both whimsical and philosophical, a balance which is struck nimbly during most of this pleasantly diverting show.