The kindest comparison one can probably make of Maff Brown’s show Pacman Is Actually Allergic to Ghosts (a show with references to pacman noticeably absent) is to that of a Saga Ocean Cruise. Yes there’s a constant smile on everyone’s face, a cheeky wink here and there, and a few stories with the truth blown a little out of proportion, but inevitably nothing particularly exciting is going to happen.The problem with Brown’s show is that it is almost entirely composed of anecdotes. Nothing wrong with that, you might say - well, there is when you don’t believe a single one of them to be true. This isn’t to be unreasonable, you’d have to be incredibly naïve to believe every story a comedian told was entirely true, it’s just that with most other comedians you’re willing to overlook a certain degree of implausibility because of the confidence in delivery, and because they usually end up going somewhere very funny.Even though Brown’s stories are common enough – encountering a rabble of thirteen year-olds on a train or meeting a man from Yorkshire whilst on holiday – he seems to have no resolve when telling them; it doesn’t even look like he believes them and this fills you with a pessimism that is inimical to laughter.That old comedian’s tool of self-deprecation isn’t used by Brown particularly effectively either. Frequently pointing out how sparse the audience is quickly becomes worn out and also begins to undermine his act as it leaves the audience that did turn up feeling a little under-appreciated. Brown’s self-deprecation also lacks originality; a comedian that’s bad in bed isn’t exactly unheard of.Brown is affable, and takes the time to get to know his audience, and it is because of this that you really want his show to come together and work well. Unfortunately, sympathy is not a quality upon which to base a comedy show.
