Bridget Christie

The wife, mum and stand-up is back at the Fringe with a new show based on her Catholic upbringing. The fact that Bridget Christie is not at all sure doing an hour about religion is a good idea is completely in keeping with her happily shambolic performing style.

An opening dance routine, to a ska version of the Doctor Who theme dressed as a bishop, drags on too long and while that might be heavily choreographed, elsewhere gags fizzle out with some desultory face-pulling. Three-quarters of the way through an audience participation section, Christie simply gives up on a skit about taking confession.

It’s all very haphazard, but in no way half-hearted. In fact, Christie seems to thrive on the slapdash slapstick. As often as not her act falls flat, but she cheerfully continues and her unfocused and disorganised stage presence becomes quite infectious, not least because she’s got a pleasant, easy-going way about her. Occasionally her sloppy schtick produces unexpectedly hilarious results, as is the case when she has a go at working a dummy, but doesn’t bother with the ventriloquism, and subsequently sets the venue’s sound engineer up with a belated punchline. That this gets the biggest laugh of Housewife Surrealist is much to Christie’s shammed chagrin.

The Stand II, 558 7272, until 28 Aug (not 15), 4.40pm, £8 (£7).