New York comedian Rick Shapiro takes a while to warm up. But, my God, once he's in his stream-of consciousness stride, it's impressive.
Shapiro produces some of the most inventive filth you've ever heard. He makes the spiky likes of Doug Stanhope look like an Andrex puppy. Being a shock-jock comic is arguably trickier in Britain than in America. There, the word c*** is enough to elicit O-shaped mouths, whereas here, the response is relatively hard to provoke. It's a credit to Shapiro, then, that he has the power to shock us and be hilarious with it.
Yet it's his political invective that's his best material. Republicans and Democrats could easily be Tories and Labourites and he's savvy about how it works here. The man has a brain and he uses crudeness to underline points well worth making. A 50-minute slot clips his wings but this is the only chance you've got to see him in Britain. And you really should.
Until Aug 26, The Green Room, 11.30pm, £9 and £10.
Rick Shapiro
The Green Room, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
