Ever wondered what radio DJs chat about when they're off-air? No, me neither - but it turns out the topic provides a wealth of material for James Cook's one-man show about the trials, tribulations and toilet humour of being a local commercial radio presenter.
Adventures On Air is a biographical show that captures wonderfully the surreal and contradictory world of being a completely unrecognisable celebrity. Supermarket openings, judging on the live tour of Dancing On Ice, which minor celebrities spent the longest time in the studio toilet – all this and more is covered in Cook's well-chosen anecdotes. The triviality of these encounters, their smallness, contrasts fantastically with the energy and gusto of Cook's storytelling. They're well structured, with plenty of surprises. Games, music and flip-board charts all feature.
This show doesn't have a whole lot of really big laughs – reactions fluctuate between lightly raised smiles and short but hearty bursts of giggles. But there are a couple and the show's finale, which involves commentary of a recording of Cook's first radio appearance at age seven, brings the biggest.
Cook tells us that he was originally supposed to be the other half of Wil Hodgson's Perrier Best Newcomer Award-winning show at the Fringe nine years ago. The day job got in the way. It's a shame - in Adventures on Air he shows himself to be a comic full of creativity and potential. Despite its gaseous title, it’s a solid and consistent show. Well worth tuning in.
