Greg Behrendt

For years, Greg Behrendt was the only non-female, straight member of the writing team behind Sex and The City. Hired to bring a veneer of testosterone to a show ostensibly about the resilient female libido, Behrendt thrived in the position. From there, he went on to co-author the self help book He’s Just Not That Into You, and has laughed it up on syndicated television with Leno and O’Brien. Yet whilst Behrendt’s name is notorious stateside, it is rarely heard in the UK.

This is his first show at the Fringe, and he has taken up a modest residency at the Assembly. Love Sex Pudding Death presents some general lifestyle advice alongside a brisk synopsis of Behrendt’s experiences so far. He discusses his career in Hollywood, "rockin' out", the joys of sex and the tribulations of marriage. Politics - or any topic which would seem out of place in a Frat house - is left alone. He is a feel-good comic, and the whooping stand-up comes with a dollop of oddly sincere personal guidance.

In between bouts of earnestness, Behrendt’s act has its highlights. He is an intensely endearing comedian - sweet, self-deprecating and armed with a barrage of widely accessible material. His experience is obvious as he manoeuvres his way through a dialled set with tranquil satisfaction. Yet, consistently, there exists a tendency to linger on the more mundane aspects of human nature. In sections such as his extended investigation of sex, the insight is dull, and comes across as therapeutic rather than comedic.