Fringe / Wolfpit

The secret of comedy, of course, is in the posture. Rich Hall just has a naturally funny stance - shoulders hunched over like a diagram in an orthopaedics textbook, buttocks clenched so that his legs move in a rigid shuffle, arms loose by his sides. He glowers from underneath shaggy eyebrows, veins bulging on his neck. The impression is of a nice man (his manners are immaculate) straining hard against inner demons. His scripted material is sharp enough - he compares America hosting the Olympics to inviting your friends round to watch you masturbate - but not always fresh. The show really comes alive when he cuts loose, picking on members of the audience and trying to hustle them into marrying each other, or improvising a mad riff on the names of chocolate bars. At these moments, you understand how close good comedy is to terror.

n Gilded Balloon. To 31 Aug.