Daft, Red-Hot Sperm (Whales) consists of four likeable London lads with varied observations on similar themes - primarily masturbation, racism and other sexual acts. Darren Maskell shuffles onto the stage leading a toy dog on a stick - like an extra from a television drama in which the opening scene is the out-patients ward in a pscyhiatric hospital. Oversized clothes, gold trainers, and a cheeky glint in his eye as he pulls out a toy accordion and begins to play, promise much - a confident comedy prankster. But the routine relies mainly on toys and other objects being randomly pulled from pockets while musing on topics such as celebrity bashing, Argos and toilet humour. 'Don't judge me', he announces at the start, before declaring toward the end 'I'll win you back'.

The taller Daniel Smith sports a skinny, hippy, stoned look - complete with beard and floppy hair. He improvises skilfully around the technical difficulties presented by the microphone (which Darren Maskell spent half his routine lowering), with the promise of Hunch Comedy. After the usual masturbation jokes and some self-promotion - a long rhetoric on the excellence of his routine and his middle-class background - jokes fail to materialise. Daniel Smith has all the presence of a confident comic but seems too easily distracted by the audience, so that the main focus of the segment is a young couple playing monopoly in the front row. Musings on rape board-games and his future (some might say preferable) career in catering leave a hollow and slightly uncomfortable air in the room.

'The Comedy begins here' is the bold opening of Gabriel Ebulue as he steps up to the mic and hits the ground running, with gags touching on drugs, popular culture, religion and advertising. This comedian has what his predecessors lack - an abundance of material. With notes on chair he ploughs through, trying to find a topic or style that fits. The difficulty is that nothing hits the mark - the jokes seem to come from a Christmas cracker, and little attempt is made to build on these basic but potentially funny blocks. Suddenly the heat of the lights and nerves seem to take over. Between frequent and awkward sips of water, the performance which started so well descends into a drivel of naff colour-jokes, which seem desperately out-of-place considering that the comic is clearly intelligent and of African heritage.

Ben Morgan bounds on with an engaging cheeky grin, putting the room at ease. Describing his appearance as reminiscent of a lesbian Hobbit, he moves the mic aside, working freely in the space as he runs through the now-usual sex, race and rape gags - each with his own twist. After a brief and endearing tale of dying on stage in front of a well-known gay comedian - who fancied the pants off him, so he boasts - the focus moves to pet-hates, most of which are testosterone-based. In the shortest set of the show, Ben Morgan finishes with a picture-card gag in which famous faces are ridiculed. Just when all hope has been lost of a truly decent belly-laugh, up pops the image of a well-known disgraced, glam-rock star with the characters of a popular children's cartoon, with a great punchline.

Daft, Red-Hot Sperm (Whales) have talent but are in desperate need of good material or at least to do something better with what they have; but the potential is there.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Performers: Gabriel Ebulue. Darren Maskell. Ben Morgan. Daniel Smith.

Company Credits: Writer - uncredited. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - Ebulue, Maskell, Morgan & Smith / PBH's Free Fringe.

END

(c) Diana Thomas 2009

reviewed Sunday 9 August 2009 / The Illicit Still, Edinburgh UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com