Rob Heeney - 'I'm Better than my Dad' @ Smirnoff Underbelly, Sat 26th August

After a decade on the comedy circuit, 'I'm Better than my Dad' is the Fringe debut show from the Isle of Man's Rob Heeney. During the show Rob reflects on whether he is, in fact, 'better' than his dad. The thirty-five year-old singleton, who is still renting and without a 'proper' job, compares his life to his father's at the same age – who had a mortgage, two kids and a loving wife. By contrast, his father thinks Rob is middle-class because he has a degree and likes goat's cheese. A likable chap, with many witty observations about life and society in today's selfish, celebrity-obsessed age, Heeney often drew on personal experiences that clearly endeared him to the audience. However, at times his jokes were too laddish: boasting about shagging eighteen year-olds and the number of pints he regularly throws down his neck. Heeney is already much in demand as a compere, but given this charming and honest performance, he looks set to branch out successfully into more solo shows. [Karen Taggart]