Lewis Schaffer - Bigger and Blacker

Lewis Schaffer is possibly the most unpredictable comic at the fringe.

This year’s fringe has already seen him attack a group of guys that smashed his phone and be threatened with libel action for falsely claiming to be the new sponsor of the now defunct if.comedy awards. In short, he is unique.

With a new show, Bigger and Blacker, Schaffer has set himself the task of telling his audience why he is trying to punch above his weight and how he doesn’t always live up to his own expectations.

Watching Schaffer is like watching the dying throes of a tortured soul. You can tell that he has the seeds of a good comedian in him, but at times he suffers from crippling confidence problems on stage – at one point he apologises to his audience and openly invites them to leave halfway through his set.

But at other times, little will escape Schaffer’s wrath as he blisters his way through a minute of biting satirical comedy.

The audience are repugnant, the English are a pitiful audience, the Jewish a despicable race – the rants build in intensity as Schaffer forgets where he is, his insecurity is momentarily abandoned and his real comedy voice comes to the fore.

If Schaffer can make his stand-up routine more consistent he is worth watching. At present, you can never be quite sure what to expect.