Few individuals liken themselves to a radiator, but Chris Rutter  claims that he bears an uncanny resemblance to one. Not only does it take him a little while to warm up, but he also gets regularly turned on by older people, cue references throughout his set to Gladys, his first ever girlfriend, a lady of advancing years who preferred a visit to M&S before they got down to some S&M.  His debut fringe show – Ignorance is Chris, has opened this week at The Stand and Rutter is one of  five showcased Scottish comedians whose run is being fully funded by the venue. The aim is to encourage and develop more homegrown talent and this show is certainly worthy of inclusion on the list

Rutter’s relaxed pace, friendly demeanour and conversational tone could be described as cosy comedy. He generates  steady ripples of gentle laughter rather than side splitting hilarity but his deadpan and chatty delivery masks a  dry wit and  a fair amount of cynicism. The audience is treated to an hour of  wry observations which veer from the silly, to the downright absurd, with a sprinkling of darkness and edginess cutting throughout. Loosely framing his set on his own life-story, Rutter meanders through a wide variety of material, poking fun at ageing relatives, young parents and ultimately himself. He ranges  and from his stint as a Chinese Christ, to finding out what it’s like to witness 80,000 fish fingers on fire. Listen carefully, the punchlines are often understated, but funny and warmly received. He’s likeable and fresh with a genuinely varied range. This is cerebral and subtle rather than slapstick and smut.

Whilst there are a few small kinks to be ironed out, only to be expected from any preview, Rutter is to be complimented on his pacing and some genuinely funny and clever patter. It’s a highly assured debut performance.