After what I think might have been quite a hard-hitting play, it’s time for a bit of comedy jollity. The next show is Andrew White: Retirement Tour at Just the Cask Room @ Just the Tonic at the Mash House at 13:05 on Thursday 23rd. Here’s the blurb: “What do you do when life comes to a crossroads? Write a show about it, of course! At 19 years old, Andrew White can’t help but question his next steps: should he keep slogging it out on the stand-up circuit? Or should he leave it all behind for further education? Is this truly the Retirement Tour? A brand-new comedy show from ‘one of the most talked about rising star comedians’ (EssexMagazine.co.uk). Weighing up his future, Andrew takes a hilarious look at the value of comedy vs the benefits of university. ‘Not to be missed’ (Daily Record).”

I love the idea that a 19-year-old should be planning his retirement tour. Good man! I’ve not seen Andrew White live before but a video I’ve seen shows a lot of promise – so here’s hoping he’s a great new find. Check back around 2.30 pm to see how funny he was. By then the next preview blog should be available to read too.

Just the Cask Room can be quite a tough venue if you have a small audience; somehow it exposes any weaknesses in your material. Andrew White has a nice, gentle, confiding style but we didn’t feel there was enough to sustain an hour. Plenty of chuckles, and I enjoyed the will-he won’t-he aspect to the structure, but it just lacked a certain something.