The title of Jim Smallman's show, Kestrels, is as obscure as some of this local man's comedy, but then that's the very nature of the genre, writes Fiona Dryden.

Despite a weak start, the audience warmed to him as he relaxed into his routine – a prelude to the Edinburgh festival where Jim will also make an appearance this summer.

Perhaps he shouldn't have told us that he was testing out new material in the run-up to it, however, as it made me feel a little short-changed when the odd dud joke emerged.

Nevertheless, there were some decent highlights, most notably a one-liner about Martine McCutcheon which cracked me up, given that his opinion of her acting ability is clearly on a par with mine.

Smallman is an opinionated man, and that's where he comes into his own – ridiculing that which he ironically has no time for.

The list is extensive, but includes strawberries, banjos, weddings and rom-coms.

A spot of audience participation worked well for him, as did his own personal take on the film Love Actually.

I'd definitely take a shot on him at Edinburgh – once he's developed his show a bit more.