Das returns to Fringe after his 2022 show, on the back of an Emmy Award win for his Netflix special.

As is his style, he occupies the stage with easy confidence and hops between politically charged material, witty wordplay, and even some slapstick. Every word, gesture, tone is measured. When he searches for the right phrase, he lets the audience believe that he is waiting for inspiration to strike – but this is the practised routine of a perfectionist. This is not to say that any interruption breaks his rhythm; he deals with the rare heckle and audience visit to the toilet smoothly, never dropping the beat.

He claims he is often accused of delivering TED talks instead of comedy routines. But his rants about right-wing governments, racism and Islamophobia, religious divides, transphobia, and toxic masculinity are not received by a silent audience. He peppers each hit with jokes, making the audience open and willing to engage with his provocations. Das proves that a comedian doesn’t have to resort to low-hanging fruit to extract laughter. He delivers a clever trans-themed joke not at the expense of the community but the vitriol surrounding it. It takes a performer of some skill and experience to leave the mic behind on stage, switch on the lights, stand in the aisle and address the audience directly in their eyes for ten minutes straight. He gains everyone’s trust to such an extent that they even award his jabs about their looks with laughs.

The seemingly spread-out routine is brought together with some smart callbacks, leading to gasps and epiphanies. His comedy genre-bends into spoken word at the end, the poetry tugging at the audience’s heartstrings. For his sharp storytelling and charismatic stage presence, this is a show you won’t want to miss.

‘The Fool’ is at Pleasance Dome – King Dome runs until Sunday 25 August 2024 at 20.00