Markus Birdman is a likable comedian but his set sadly lacked that vital something to make him a really funny one as well. Although there are moments of inspiration, for the most part it toes the line of average far too closely.Accompanied throughout by a man gently playing away on a guitar, the atmosphere was relaxed but not necessarily conducive to generating laughter. Birdman's set centred around his recent life, taking stock at the age of 40 and dealing with the consequences of his recent stroke. Although always engaging, punchlines sometimes felt contrived and some jokes fell a little flat. This wasn't helped by the entrance of some late audience members who upset the rhythm of the performance.After a slow start, the set did pick up momentum, with the last quarter of an hour being easily the strongest. His sections about television and following dreams were especially on the money as well as being the funniest. However, even these sections tended to lack the sustained laughter which would help propel Birdman's set to the next level.Birdman's show is a perfectly competent and enjoyable hour of stand-up comedy. Unfortunately, it lacks that ability to command the audience into laughter that the most skilled stand-ups have.
