Technically I only saw 40% of this show, because in the second half the audience gets to pick which of four work-in-progress half hours John Barrett is going to perform. Before that, we get a set from Jacob Williams. Much of his act is “I’m such a loser because…” material, most of which is well written, but could be more confidently performed. Even if doing so would be slightly in contrast with the content. As for Barrett’s section, I really like the ‘choose my set’ idea, though the only downside is that – while three of the options seemed quite general – the one my fellow audience members opted for was a comedy lecture very specifically on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A franchise I’ve never really interacted with. Nevertheless, it was still an engaging half hour, even if I suspect a decent number of the jokes were going over my head. 

Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 31 Aug. 
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Cooke]