Richard Cobb’s Running Joke is an entertaining hour of stand-up comedy, perfect for passing the time in the early evening. Performing in an intimate venue, Cobb’s natural delivery creates a friendly atmosphere almost akin to a chat at the pub. The show centres around various challenges Cobb had to overcome before he faced the challenge from which the show derives its name: running the Edinburgh marathon. It’s a relatable premise, allowing the audience to empathise with his journey and feel present in the stories he told. This isn’t an absurdist, existentialist or political stand-up. Rather, Cobb derives humour from real situations that happen to real people (mostly himself).
He was perhaps a little nervous at the beginning and spoke very fast as a result. Unfortunately, this meant some of the jokes didn’t land as they perhaps should have done. However, he soon relaxed into it, slowing down his speech and giving the jokes some time to settle before he moved on.
That being said, the show needs some polishing, a fact Cobb even acknowledged at one point. But, when we’re on to the second week at the Fringe, a self-aware joke doesn’t make up for a rough-edged performance. The very best stand-up ebbs and flows, building cleverly to a crescendo of punchlines and pay offs of earlier jokes. While there are a couple instances of this in Running Joke, they’re few and far between. For the most part, there seemed to be little connection between his various stories, as funny as they might be. And, when there is a connection, he doesn’t do a good enough job of building them subtly and cleverly into the piece. For instance, at one stage he repeated the phrase: ‘Another thing I’m competitive about’ before around four stories (I lost count of the precise number). I couldn’t help but wonder whether there was a more entertaining way to seg-way between these stories, preferably so it felt like there was a true through-line to the piece.
The jokes themselves were often very good, I laughed a lot. But again, it was all a bit rough round the edges. Cobb slightly rambled trying to set up a few punchlines, which killed any momentum he’d bought himself. And, with stand-up, momentum is essential. The audience want to be taken on a hilarious journey. Unfortunately, Cobb, despite having a lot of the material, doesn’t quite manage that.
Overall, Running Joke is certainly enjoyable, and worth checking out if you happen to be at the Raging Bull pub. Richard Cobb certainly has talent and promise but, if he wants to truly compete with the best of Edinburgh Fringe comedy, he has some work to do.
Reviewer: Ben Pearson
Reviewed: 9th August 2024
North West End UK Rating: