The latest Corpus Smoker brought together the comic talents of Ken Cheng, Dan Eastment, Milo Edwards, Jamie Fraser, Adrian Gray and Alex Mackeith for a night of light-hearted entertainment.

Footlights President Ben Pope made an affable compere, throwing in quite a few quips of his own while introducing the evening’s comics. Jamie Fraser continued along the social media theme established in his recent solo show, while Adrian Gray prompted a deal of hilarity with his bewilderment at the risks he incurs in the pursuit of acne-free skin. Dan Eastment had some strong moments as well, playing the posh card as he commented on the dangers of owning a bicycle labelled ‘Property of Selwyn College’.

The comedians knew their audience well, and jokes about being young, awkward, middle class and out of place were well-received as did those at the expense of stock Cambridge characters such as the gauche American tourist taking in King’s Chapel. But given that Corpus Smokers are billed as an opportunity for comics to experiment with new material, the show seemed a little light on, well, experiments. There was risqué subject matter – Adrian Gray lingered at length on the topic of vaginas in need of medical attention, while Ken Cheng shared his attempts at getting arrested for his offensive twitter feed – but the acts would have benefited from a little more variety and audaciousness in terms of form and style.

It was for this reason that Alex Mackeith’s act, dominated by a screenplay inspired by The Sixth Sense, stood out. He swapped the chatty, nice-guy act favoured by his fellow performers for something a bit more eccentric. Mackeith’s act was full of dramatic pauses, theatrical pronouncements, crazy-eyed stares into the audience and profane mutterings. The change of pace was refreshing – and drew some of the biggest laughs of the evening.

The evening’s performers were notable for their lack of amateurishness. Their acts were polished, and if the odd joke went astray, well, the same might be said of even the biggest names in comedy. Though their competence is admirable and their talent undeniable, I found myself wishing for a few more ventures into the unconventional – Corpus Smoker, after all, is exactly the place for that.