Tom Goodliffe @ Underbelly Med Quad

Getting a free coffee on the way into a show at the Fringe should now be mandatory as it certainly perks up an audience. Sadly for Tom Goodliffe, his words were the anathema to that perculation as he told the tale of how he and a group of fellow coffee lovers aimed to hit 59 cafes in the central London area.

It’s an original conceit but not one that’s stuffed full of comedy. Goodliffe is a delightful host and his love of the black stuff is charming, but it doesn’t create any real jeopardy in an adventure that might just end with him not drinking far too much coffee. There’s an old and terrible saying that feels applicable while paraphrased thusly, “Alcohol, because no good story ever started with a coffee.” Goodliffe’s use of powerpoint, photoshop and the history of the bean do little to spice up what is essentially a narrated Google maps quest for a cup of joe.

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Tom Goodliffe's Coffee Run, Underbelly, Med Quad (Clover), until 27 Aug (not 15), 2.50pm, £9-11