Adam Hills

3 / 5 stars

Pleasance Cabaret Bar, Edinburgh

No one does matey bonhomie better than Aussie stand-up Adam Hills. He treats his comedy sets like others treat their house parties - eager for his audience to have a good time, eager to find the jokes and references that will bring us together. What impresses is his evident generosity of spirit. What's disappointing is that, in his pursuit of the communal vibe, he sacrifices any edge, any perspective that might haul his material from the middle of the road.

His show is called Happy Feet for two reasons. The first is that it recalls how 1930s performers responded to dark times. Hills's own 9/11 material deals not with the politics of the event, nor with its human tragedy, but with how it affected people like him. This routine segues into the other explanation for his show title: his prosthetic right leg. Post 9/11, airport security is a nightmare, though embarrassed guards often let it pass: "I don't care if the plane goes down, I don't want to offend a spastic."

The material on Hills's fake foot is funny and illuminating. It gives the comedian an individuality that his mainstream material denies him. Elsewhere, he deals in pop culture references (crocodile hunter Steve Irwin keeps reappearing), loveable national stereotypes and big-hearted interplay with the audience. He should dare to be different; eager to fit in, he apologises for using the word "penchant", lest anyone be alienated by his erudition. But his good cheer is hard to resist, and there are few safer guarantees on the fringe of an uncomplicated good time.

· Until Monday. Box office: 0131-556 6550.