In a single bound, Andrew Lawrence has leapt from a newcomer nomination in last year's if.comedy awards on to this year's shortlist for the main prize. And if the reaction of the audience when I saw him is anything to go by, it's certainly deserved. A tiny figure, with "hair the colour of sexual rejection" and "the voice of Joe Pasquale", Lawrence is a natural born funnyman, blessed with a talent for accents and funny voices.
But as he begins to address the theme of this year's show - Social Leprosy for Beginners & Improvers - this hitherto quite amiable lad transforms himself into a vicious, hate-filled elf. Through the twin mediums of brutal mimicry and high-speed hyperbolic ranting, Lawrence rains bile upon Scots, Gypsies, common people, posh people, Guardian-reading people (sorry), Guardian-writing people (mercifully briefly), and then Gypsies again for good measure. Though his performance is committed and confident, and his descriptions brilliantly worded, his targets, it must be said, are not exactly new, or in need of the extra abuse. As a result, there is a slightly unkind tone to the show that is clearly at odds with Lawrence's real character, demonstrated by his concern that people should be able to get out of the tiny venue for air.
Altogether, the experience was uncomfortably like watching a school bully in full flow. Lawrence might argue, of course, that the show is not about himself and his opinions, but revolves around the cliched views of his misanthropic comic persona. If so, fair enough, but he must accept that predictably directed nastiness does end up winning the day. I was tempted, in my curmudgeonly critic persona, to write a comprehensive one-star slating of his show to prove the point, but decided against it. Probably for the best.
· Until August 26. Box office: 0131-556 6550.
