Comedy review: Laura Solon, Talking And Not Talking, CD

Seemingly poised for stardom for creating instantly memorable and grotesque comic characters, one might dub Laura Solon the next Catherine Tate. What makes her different is that she specialises in brilliantly written verbal comedy, displayed at length in this latest Radio 4 series. Almost every sketch is a showcase for ultra-deft characterisation and surprising gags. There's a real sense of superior craftsmanship, making her seem more like a successor to the tradition of Fry & Laurie than anyone more contemporary. Her various alter egos allow Solon to mix it up a bit, with some characters offering delicate observational comedy (check out the divorcee entrepreneur perched forever on the verge of tears) and others diving headlong into the surreal (her demented Teutonic heiress, forever plotting coups in the company of a china model lion, is a blindingly original highpoint). Following her memorable cameos in Harry And Paul, Solon's surely going to be bringing this stuff to TV soon; this release shows exactly why she deserves it.