Josie Long

Despite winning last year's Best Newcomer Award, Josie Long is firmly of the 'it's the taking part that counts' crowd as she proves with her new show, Trying is Good.

Long claims she would prefer to be “honest” rather than “funny or concise”, and the hour-long show sees the comedian talking frankly about her recent experiences. There is no pretentious showmanship in Long's style indeed, If anything, she is 'anti-style': a self effacing, slightly slumped figure whose exuberant nature is a pleasure to watch.

Long talks with infectious enthusiasm for the absurdities found in every day life – eccentrics she has met on her travels for instance – but she never lets the material cross the line into ridicule. Instead, Trying is Good is a celebration of diversity written with Long's instinctive knowledge of comedy, which she twists to fit her own subverted sense of humour. Inspired to view her weaknesses as strengths, for instance, Long lifts up her pink T-shirt to reveal the word “marvellous” scrawled across her slightly wobbly tummy.

Simultaneously naïve and clever, Long highlights the illusion of normality like a real-life David Shrigley cartoon. She uses visual aids – drawings, covert photography and 'scientific' graphs – to convert the audience to her positive world-view, offering much more than a snide remark or crass pun could ever achieve. An ambassador for the joys of unselfconscious excitement, Long charms the audience into a happier frame of mind.

If this is Long simply trying, she gets the gold star for effort.