Luke Toulson: Too Many Last Cigarettes is a comedic monologue loosely based around the performer attempting to get to his son’s nativity play.

The title is a reference to the the fact that he keeps on trying to give up cigarettes but always fails – a metaphor for his inability to change his way of life for the better.

He starts by apologising, explaining that he is unwell and has to take a lot of medicine just to get through the show. Despite this unsure start he seems confident and indulges in some easy banter with the audience. He then sets the scene – he has woken up next to a strange woman, hungover, with just two and a half hours to get to the nativity play where his son will be playing a donkey. The only problem is he has no idea where he is. There then follows a number of anecdotes, hopefully ficticious, about his poor parenting skills. It is clear that he wants to be a good dad but his weaknesses let him down every time – unfortunately the same could be said for his comedy set.

He examines the story behind the nativity and delivers an extended riff on what would happen if the baby Jesus died at the end of the tale. In the strongest part of the routine he continues in a religious vein with an examination of the phrase ‘God works in mysterious ways’. At this point he becomes more animated and the stronger material puts some zip into his performance. Unfortunately he can’t really keep the momentum up and, perhaps due to feeling unwell, seems to lose his way slightly, recovering to transfer his situation into a typical Richard Curtis film.

He finally gets to his son’s nativity play but, with a classic shaggy-dog story ending, the punchline is not exactly revelationary.

The comedian delivers a postscript of sorts – his son has asked him to give up cigarettes and he has finally done it. He’s now also cut down on the drinking and late nights which were such a feature of his life before. He wryly notes that all this seems to have accomplished is to have made him sick for the first time in several years of coming to Edinburgh, comparing the city to a vengeful mafia boss who he has betrayed.

This ends an uneven 55 minutes of comedy which has some real highlights but simply not enough material to fill the time. His delivery is pretty much faultless but it can’t hide a disappointing lack of focus and a failure to examine the subjects wath any comedic depth.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Luke Toulson

Company Credits: Company – Luke Toulson

END

(c) David Hepburn 2009

reviewed Wednesday 12 August 09 / Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com