Manchester based Justin Moorhouse returns to the Edinburgh Fringe, putting his own varied twist on the theme of archetypes and the notion that there are only seven stories in the world and all others are merely variations on these seven. A theme that while interesting is nothing new to anyone with a passing interest in film or psychology and is further hampered by Moorhouse’s inability to add anything especially meaningful about his chosen theme. One moment ranting wildly about the metaphysical archetypes in Star Wars that has the audience baffled as to what he is trying to say and more importantly where are the jokes.
Morrhouse does his best with the crowd but by his own admission has had his confidence knocked, he repeatedly mentions a sore throat that is bothering him and he repeatedly blames his voice on his poor delivery of certain punch lines and at other times is unable to even get the words out. He soldiers on valiantly but by about the half way mark you couldn’t be blamed for wishing he hadn’t bothered. The problem is his humour hasn’t travelled well to Edinburgh, discussing such matters as the people of Lancashire and the psychology of the working class people he has met there, the subject matter doesn’t quite grab the audience’s attention and his jokes about how every one of these people must imagine they have a brass band playing, a joke that is repeatedly frequently but is as baffling and unfunny the third time as it was the first. Moorhouse can tell he hasn’t got the audience on form and bemused constantly states that that joke usually has the audience in stitches.
This isn’t a complete disaster Moorhouse is a very funny comedian and comes across as a genuinely likeable character, its just a shame that his set comes across as a mixed affair that fails to capture the audiences imagination.
2/5 
Martin Miller
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