Tim Vine @ The Pleasance

Article by Jenni Brooks | 26 Aug 2010

To be clear: Tim Vine isn't cool and he isn't cutting-edge. But his show is so much the better for not even trying. Despite the Fringe's reputation for breaking the new, knowing what you're going to get isn't always a bad thing and that a legion of loyal fans returns time after time is testament to the skill of this high-octane pun-meister supreme.

The one-liners come thick and fast from beginning to end, yet Vine breaks them up just enough to stop it being a barrage. He has a strong physical presence which he puts to great effect by dancing, singing and buffooning his way around the stage like the archetypal winking uncle at a wedding.

It's a traditional sort of act but the innovation comes in the puns themselves as Vine pushes ever further with often mind-bending and surreal plays on words. The joy comes in the gap; scrabbling around in each spurious set-up trying to anticipate the punch-line. The jokes seen coming a mile off induce a few groans but ultimately prove just as popular as the off-the-wall ones.

Fun, compelling and utterly diverting stuff.

Pleasance Courtyard, 26-30 Aug, 8.43pm, £17 (£16)