Edinburgh Fringe 2015 review – James Acaster: Verdict? This man is guilty of comic genius

If you look on Wikipedia for notable people from Kettering, James Acaster’s name comes up first. This may be because celebrity charts tend to be in alphabetical order, but Acaster is not just top of the Northamptonshire town’s list, he is a front-runner for this year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award.

After three consecutive shortlisted shows, Acaster’s latest, Represent, is his most conceptually ambitious set yet. While superficially it is the story of his time doing jury service, this is merely a peg to hang all manner of skilful riffs on, from the comically pedantic to the seriously existential. The fun would be spoiled by giving too much away, but the thumbnail sketches of fellow jurors, particularly the over-enthusiastic log flume employee, offer copious scope for laughs. The description of Secret Santa presents being exchanged mid-trial is priceless.

Everything is delivered with absolute precision. Sometimes the pauses are as funny as the patter.