Paul Culliver: Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls (MICF)

Paul Culliver himself will say that the title of his show is the best joke he has, but there's a little more going for him in Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls than just a snazzy pun.

Culliver is possibly the most charmingly natural performer around. His persona has clearly been forged in the fires of liberal media, but the shiny, talk-show-host style is second nature to Culliver, who makes a polished stage presence look like child's play.

Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls has some teething issues, with Culliver often losing his place and forgetting the structure of his own show. Too often for a full hour does he misplace his material and backtrack to find the point of what he is talking about, pulling his audience abruptly out of the performance bubble. While his organic charisma could carry him through a recital of the phone book, Culliver is victim to a few mirror-shatter moments that see him become flustered and shaky.

There are moments of Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls that come completely out of the blue, giving a welcome surprise to Culliver's performance and shows he's not just a pretty face. His tales of working at the ABC and making a name for himself in rural SA are brilliant and give his audience an insight into the makings of a successful 20-something. Admittedly, Culliver tries to cover a few too many bases, which finds the comic jumping between subjects rather uncomfortably, but more often than not the jump is worth it.

Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls definitely has more than a good title. It's still a way away from some of Culliver's previous endeavours, but he's still as genial as ever.

Paul Culliver presents Don't Go Chasing Water Pauls till 21 Apr at La Barre Electronique, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.