Fringe comedy splits in to two definite groups – the big boys who sell out and don’t really need to be here and the newbies who are slogging their guts out in order to get somewhere. The latter category is the most unpredictable and is made up of some true geniuses, some hapless losers and a larger number who could be brilliant with a bit of work. James Goldsbury very much fits into the last group.
His current show is a little scrappy and is littered with nervousness, repetition and some confusion, but with a little mental filtering it’s clear that there’s an extremely funny mind at work. Goldsbury delves into a huge array of social, political and personal problems and unearths topics that are all too often ignored by many ‘’safe” comedians and jollies them up with his own unique spin. While his delivery leaves a lot to be desired, he has a great edginess to him that is all too rare on today’s scene.
At the moment Goldsbury isn’t the best stand up on the circuit, but with a little mentoring and direction he could be very, very good. He might not be much to look at the moment, but keep an eye out as he could strike gold next year.
3/5
Richard Biggs
