Chris Cox show, Control Freak, is somehow of a contradiction. It is supposed to be a comedy show, but laughs are very rare. It is designed for adults, but his tricks would be better enjoyed by kids. It technically lasts an hour, but it seems much longer.
Cox has potential, he tries his best at wooing the audience with his ‘mind reading’ tricks, and although these are impressive, they have been done so many times, and don’t offer much that is new. Control Freak feels very much like a quirky lesson, since Cox tries to explain origins, reasons and procedures to his public, instead of just getting on with it. Since he is more interested in chatting to the audience than amusing them, he only has time for a small number of tricks, which feels a bit like a cheat.
Maybe the problem lies in this middle ground he has created, a show neither fitted for adults or children, which never grabs the attention of either since he tries to please both at the same time. Jokes about failed relationships don’t sit well with kids, while handing out lollypops to members of the audience, and the way he addresses his public might feel patronising if over the age of seven.
All is not lost, and you do go all ‘oooohh’ and ‘aaah’ whenever he gets his tricks right, but a bit more polishing is needed if he wants to get some ‘wows’ and ‘awesome!’
3/5 
Adrian G. Velazquez
