James Loveridge and Other Losers

Tucked away downstairs in Jekyll and Hyde's, away from the flyer-saturated Old Town, it is easy to miss what may be two of the funniest young comedians I've seen in a long time (tonight's 'loser' accompanying James Loveridge is Sam Hastings). 

Despite beginning with a relatively familiar 'mum's boyfriend' bit, Sam Hastings quickly establishes himself as a unique young comedian. Armed with the knowledge that a well-placed pause can be a far more effective tool than yet another non-sequitur, his control over material that encompassed the Jungle Book, beached whales, gateway STDs and ethnicity-envy, among others, was impressive. The highlight, though, was definitely his one-man dialogue between two Vietnam soldiers, which could well become a show in its own right.

James Loveridge masterfully toes the line between controversial and cheeky, his asides to his own jokes getting as big a laugh as the jokes themselves. At one point he did prompt two walkouts with the sort of adolescent sex joke Russell Howard often resorts to. Unlike Howard though, here it is merely a prelude to a far funnier punchline that hilariously ties up his entire show. 

Two very different, and very funny, comedians honing their craft in one free show. Definitely worth going out of your way for.