The comedy club of Trinity College Cambridge consists of a stuffed bird (Magpie) and a handful of aspiring stand-up comedians. Compère, Charlie Palmer (Stump), warms up the audience in his delightfully goofy manner, producing some chuckle-worthy puns and keeping the atmosphere friendly. The worst of the word-play is in the show's title, so it gets marginally better. Palmer works very hard, a gratefully received light relief to break the tension between nervous comics.
First up is multi-lingual Charlotte Martin, impressively incorporating her fluent French and German into her routine. She makes some amusing observations on German language and culture, delivering lines with earnest breathlessness.
Lee Zhao makes some jokes that are so non-PC the audience feel guilty for laughing, but he is charming enough to get away with it. He starts out promisingly but frays at the edges as he strays into the topic of bestiality. Ben Weisz performs some patchy political commentary and impressions, shooting himself in the foot by forgetting to use the microphone. He does produce a belly laugh for his accurate impression of Robert Peston, but he stretches the material for a bit too long.
Finally, the only performer not be shivering with stage-fright is the confident and charismatic Marcus Martin, presenting a solidly funny and flowing routine, the only polished comedian of the night. The hour passes surprisingly quickly and the show is good value for money at only £6. Compared to some of the frightfully bad stand-up shows at the Fringe, the Magpie and Stump performers are witty and amusing - if only they had a little more confidence.
