In America David Cross is famous for playing eccentric Tobias Funke in the sitcom Arrested Development. But he is also a hip, taboo-thumping stand-up and a welcome addition to London's comedy scene for the rest of June. But there is something frustrating about this enjoyable no-interval two-hour show. The thrillingly smart 43-year-old only comperes. So every time he hit a groove, whether discussing heaven, paedophilia or being accidentally pleasured by his puppy, he was gone, replaced by some nicely idiosyncratic US chums.
Monotone minimalist Todd Barry is cruelly deadpan, Olive Oyl-ish Kristen Schaal is wittily warped, Eugene Mirman is a Russia-born angry surrealist hippy. Token Brit guest Jimmy Carr offered some unprintable gags and a printable one: "I've a terrible boss. I'm self-employed."
This package certainly had highlights, most notably the absurdist videos - Schaal as a pigtailed geek, Mirman as a drugged-up detective - but it never fully delivered. If only Cross had hogged the stage a good, sprawling gig could have been a tight, unforgettable one.
Until 30 June (0871 220 0260).
David Cross & Friends
100 Club
Oxford Street, W1D 1LL
