After a pre-recorded announcement saying exactly what to expect from Trevor Browne and the next hour - complete with instructions on what will and won't be appropriate behaviour (apparently being a dickhead is frowned upon) - he comes on stage to rapturous applause. That he has to ask for. Again. And again. And again.

It's not that Trevor Browne is lacking in comic ability - he is quite funny in a laboured way – but the show is all about how great he is. He is quick to stress that he is not one of those 'musical comedians' – he is a 'serious artist' ('Oh yeah baby' wink). His persona moves between wannabe lothario and feigned arrogant aloofness, which is amusing for a while but doesn't hold enough energy to make a full-length show.

He uses pauses and little reproving looks to good effect. And a lot of his material is genuinely funny - a ye-olde-English poem on rain, and some cracking lyrics such as 'I like you like Soviets like nuclear arms' do make for a good giggle, but not side-splittingly. His songs are musically sound – A Midget and a Hoe is particularly catchy - and each is finished with an amusing, if drawn out flourish. An excerpt from the autobiography The Origins of Trevor Browne and a few more quirky stories about ex-girlfriends, his feelings on forms and homeless people, and being a human sniffer dog, about fill up the 50 minutes. A chance meeting with John Denver 12 years after his death makes it in there too.

Trevor Browne is funny, and his material is largely good, if a bit pun-heavy. The songs are just the right side of kooky, though perhaps need to be more distinct from each other musically. His musical ability is apparent - playing both guitar and harmonica at the same time - but seems to underscore his act rather than drive it. A lot of his humour feels based on sarcasm and put-downs, which when coupled with the aloofness may not be everyone's cup of tea. It is when occasionally the persona slips and a slightly more awkward, eager-to-please side is revealed that he becomes more endearing as a performer. Perhaps with a more upbeat and energetic approach - and more concrete character decisions - Trevor Browne could move beyond the titters and into full belly laughs.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Trevor Browne - Performer.

Company Credits: Writer - Trevor Browne. Composer - Trevor Browne. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - uncredited. Company - uncredited. Website - www.itstrevorbrowne.com.

END

(c) Emma MacLennan 2011

reviewed Sunday 7 August 2011 / PBH Free Fringe, Edinburgh, UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com