James Dowdeswell: Doofus

Beautifully twee comedian James Dowdeswell is full of whimsical jest and self-deprecating nerdiness. His latest comedic hug of a show, Doofus, helps highlight both his love of poking fun at himself and the weird world we live in.

As he begins Dowdeswell seems almost embarrassed on stage, with reddened cheeks, but with 10 solid years of stand up under his belt and some great observational comedy in his pocket he has no need to be. Dowdeswell opens up throughout the gig, which is a joy to watch, by giving the audience just a brief look into the charming world he lives in. It seems like the first 10 minutes of his set are as important as the first 10 years of his stand up career, and it's this willingness to please the room that most impresses.

With an extensive repertoire of impressions to fall back on, (the show is almost worth seeing for his Stewart Lee impression alone) Dowdeswell never relies on these but fits them snuggly into an already solid show.