One has to applaud Anglo-Indian stand-up Paul Chowdhry for rapidly rewriting the opening of his Edinburgh-bound show following recent events, but last night his topical overture left a decidedly uneasy taste.
The bombings and their unfolding fallout are still too raw at the moment, though there is also the niggling feeling that tauter, more incisive satire might have made Chowdhry's political patter less unpalatable.
Starting Monday's gig like this was a shame, because it meant that by the time he drew upon his rock-solid crowd-pleasing material and some sharper remarks inspired by personal experiences of racism, it was an uphill struggle to win the small crowd back. This skinny Prince-lookalike's relaxed delivery, nonchalance bordering on disinterest, didn't help.
Yet one could see that there is clearly talent beyond the crass quips. He has a keen eye for the less-controversial comic absurdities of everyday life, whether it is looking for a wife, finding a mini cab or phoning his north London bank and being put through to an Indian call centre.
There are skilful set-pieces too, such as his impersonation of badly dubbed dialogue, where lips and lines slip out of synch.
Successive musical gags would have packed a heftier punch if his cue-phobic soundman had been attentive. With a new technician and more political sensitivity Chowdhry could still make a splash in Scotland next month.
Wimbledon Theatre, 28 July. Information: 0870 060 6646.
