Nik Coppin, London funnyman, was not long back from his hols when we caught him at the Upstairs at Three and Ten. Sporting a Spiderman hoodie he was determined not to let us leave without sharing some interesting Antipodean anecdotes, his fascination with Australian, arachnid wildlife and general cheerful enthusiasm. It proved an entertaining hour.
Faced with a small audience and its inevitable intimacy, Coppin fared pretty well. His set was well constructed for such a small event, with its allowance for chit-chat and a casual approach. Good grief, is the chap a digresser! Most of his original topics of discussion were lost along the way, but this was no disappointment. The comedian is no gag machine and the few that he did produce were a little uninspiring. Yet Coppins self deprecation and energy make cosy bed fellows and allow him to rattle off funny stories, gently mocking his audience along the way.
It would be stimulating to see Spider Comic performing in a larger space. With a bigger crowd come greater expectations (indeed with great power comes great responsibility, ho ho). Charm may not be enough to get Coppin through. On this occasion however it was hard to find flies in the ointment.
