"Nik Coppin's been all over the place: France, Germany, Spain, Austria, New Zealand, Melbourne (the International Comedy Festival), Edinburgh...
"And, um, New Hampstead. Where, tonight, his set is all over the place too.
"Only I don't mean it's skittering Izzard-style from one bout of craziness to another, seemingly unconnected but actually brilliantly-linked routine. I just mean he's wandering about without really getting himself - or us - anyplace.
"Now it's refreshing to see a comic whimsically meander wherever he fancies, rather than stand there stock-still - like Steve Coogan's Duncan Thickett pastiche - and pray to be liked. It's just, following Nik is a bit like listening to your mate down the pub whitter into his beer about what he's been up to that week. Fun, but not always funny. 'Cause while there are some real gems in here - notably when he focuses - ultimately there's a lot of froth and precious little beer.
"Mind you, Nik's a canny one. Just when you're losing patience he hits you with a one-liner that's all the tougher for being unexpected. He also has a nifty way with the hecklers - eschewing standard put-downs and preferring, as the cliché goes, to give 'em enough rope. And while he's rarely outstanding he is still standing, sporting an easy-going delivery that's far harder to pull off than great gags written from the comfort of your home computer.
"So Nik's going places. And for now, I'm ready to follow him."
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