Review: ANDY KINDLER, Soho Theatre

US comic Andy Kindler is currently midway through a short residency at the Soho Theatre. He's well-known in North America, including for numerous appearances on Letterman and his annual 'State of the Industry Address' at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, but how well does his act translate to a London stage?

From the outset of his show, his shtick is clear - overtly self-deprecating, frequently pointing out that his jokes should be getting bigger laughs, and often sabotaging himself before reaching a punchline.

He's at pains to point out "I'm really never going to pack them in here, am I?", and suggests renaming his show the 'Half a House Tour' (which is probably just about accurate judging by Monday night's audience).

Kindler also wastes no time in pointing out his 3.5 star Chortle review and a joyless write-up from Vulture Hound, and asks "Which critic is going to ruin my career tonight?" - so his self-deprecation has a combative streak.

He claims to have no structure to his show. On the surface this appears to be true, as it's certainly not a themed or 'journey' show of the type prevalent every August at the Edinburgh Fringe. He also claims that his ADHD and OCD lead his mind to wander off on tangents during his act, which is also entirely feasible.

But you suspect, in particular because he's somewhat of a comedians' comedian, that it might all be rather more carefully constructed than he's letting on.

Even so, the constant interjections along the lines of "Come on, that's a great joke", "That never gets a laugh", "Has there been a Convention to end comedy?", although presumably there to break up the act and allow him to maintain his shtick of being something of a failure, may become a little wearing for some over the course of an hour.

In terms of material, you'll hear him laying into fellow comedians (Louis CK, Ricky Gervais, Dane Cook), dictators (Hitler, Stalin) and of course Donald Trump. Red Bull - which he conspicuously drinks onstage - also comes in for some criticism. A running joke sees him claiming to be the first comic to have used various well-worn comedy tropes.

There are some genuinely funny jokes and a few groan-worthy puns. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the more American references fell a bit flat in front of a London crowd. This may actually be something of a gift for Kindler, giving himself extra opportunities to bemoan the lack of laughter - or at least 'enough' laughter, since the response wasn't actually as lacklustre as he was making out.

All in all though, on this particular Monday night in Soho, something didn't quite click. Perhaps the audience response was too moderate to fill the room with either the raucous laughter some want from a comedy gig, or the awkward lack of it that would fully sate Kindler's knowing self-deprecation?

My review clearly isn't "career-ruining", and neither am I one of the critics Kindler called out on Twitter who "don't seem to enjoy" his show. It made me laugh, sometimes - it just wasn't quite my can of Red Bull. But if you like your comedy American, knowing and a bit spiky, it could well be yours.

Andy Kindler at the Soho Theatre until 15 September

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