Despite this being Daniel Townes’ debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, he is already very established in his homeland of Australia having been voted comedian of 2006 by Australian FHM readers, and winning the Australian leg of Canadian comedy chain Yuk Yuks Great Canadian Laugh off competition. The combination of this early success and Townes’ laid-back Aussie manner means the audience feels in safe hands from the off.
The main thread of his routine though, follows on from his Yuk Yuks competition success when he had to travel to Canada to compete in the grand finals, and unfortunately ended up being deported from Los Angeles where he was supposed to be changing planes. Complete with a stolen copy of his police interview transcript, Townes works his way through his answers, poking fun at the absurdity of the whole situation. His prepared material is delivered in a relaxed and friendly way, inviting the audience to share in his incredulity at being deported. However it’s the moments of improvisation where Townes reveals the sharp wit behind the easygoing demeanour and creates the most laughs. Townes comes across as very affable, the funny bloke down the pub, and there’s definitely worse ways to spend an hour.
3/5
Kelly Mauchlen
