Larry Dean @ Pleasance Courtyard

Piece by piece, we’re getting to know Larry Dean. In this new hour of comedy he reveals more and more about himself, from childhood obsessions to present-day dating antics and all that’s in between. He plays with his audience’s expectations wonderfully, at one point setting himself up as a stereotypical Glaswegian and at others just talking about how much he loves his grandmother and all older people by extension.

While many comics will stand on stage and reel off joke after joke, we have a real sense of being in the room with Dean – he stops to note our reactions, picks out favourites in the crowd and makes easy conversation with hecklers. His comedy is honest and warm, bringing us in and encouraging us to laugh at him as much as at his stories. Dean has a keen sense of what’s expected from a stand-up, too, and pokes fun at conventions like callbacks and making comedy about comedy while giggling into the mic with practised ease. His shows are always feel-good, full of silver-ish linings and mundane moments in life made to feel more and more significant.