Rich Hall is a face familiar to most from the BBC’s quizcoms QI and Have I Got News For You, and its clear that Latitude punters have enjoyed his unique brand of American deadpan and cynicism before as the Comedy Arena grows ever busier in anticipation of his arrival.

His set features staple gags about George Bush, America’s reputation here and in Europe, but also the resilience and bloody-minded defiance of the British mentality, as well as witty banter with the audience in between times. Here, a bloke who ‘works’ as a lifeguard in the circus is milked by Hall for all the comedy he’s worth until he finally admits he’s a Chemistry student at Cardiff, while those making for the toilets mid-set are hilariously accosted until they flee or sit, revealing Hall’s playful cruel streak.

Ultimately though, Hall’s a totally likeable persona, and his sarcastic and wry wisecracking is so British you could forget he were American were it not for that unmistakeable, dialectic drawl. What other American comic would self-deprecatingly quip that ‘you can have my jokes, you might enjoy them, and you’ll probably tell them damn well better than I do’? An underrated genius with a sure understanding of the absurdities of life, love and language, Hall’s set will no doubt be remembered by many as the alternative comic highlight of Latitude 2008.


Ben Wilkinson