Showing @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 3 Nov only (on tour)

With so many hardships currently pertaining to modern society, it’s rare for a performance to be so free of subtext. Rather than try to indirectly comment on the lamentations of the moment, Stewart Francis presents an opportunity to forget any problems and revel in the hedonistic pleasure of laughter (perhaps therein lies its subtext).

Francis doesn’t engage with the audience in the same way some comedians digress and improvise around their act; his set feels like a long list of jokes expertly delivered. He also doesn’t embellish his comedy with outlandish cartoons like Dylan Moran or peculiar clothing like Noel Fielding; instead Francis relies upon the infantile silliness of his material appealing to the inner-child of his spectators. There are moments where Francis breaks away from his juvenile punning to localise his gags (mentioning Musselburgh) or to bring in something current (comments on Savile), which balance the sometimes plodding feel and prevent his puns from becoming overbearing. Francis even exploits the characteristics of one-liner comedy by degrading it and in his closing sequence almost mocking himself. But Francis isn’t pretentious; his show doesn’t have the guise of intellect like that of early Ricky Gervais or Eddie Izzard. By relishing in the simplicity of smart and original wordplay, Francis’ act is a riotous, jaw-aching hour of unadulterated, immature and puerile fun.

Follow Callum on Twitter @CWMadge.