David Ian @ Just the Tonic at The Caves

David Ian is on the hunt for The Perfect Gay (Spoiler: it’s him). Why? Because back in the early noughties, his first actual act of gayness was met with a death threat. “If I’m going to be hated for this”, he says, “I may as well be the absolute best”. And who currently holds that accolade? Well, there’ll be no more spoilers here, but think of the most iconic pop icon you can, and you’re spot on. And so, the framework of the show is born.

Ian presents us with a checklist of qualities that he must possess if he is going to be The Perfect Gay. Included in these are ‘likes pop music’, ‘ageless and timeless’, and so on. For each item on the list, he tells a funny anecdote, then awards himself a badge. The construct is refreshing, and forces the routine into easily identifiable segments in an easy win for Ian and the audience – we cheer each time he receives a badge. Unfortunately, that is where the individuality ends. Many of Ian’s jokes, woven fairly seamlessly into each anecdote, have an air of familiarity. Sure, there’s certainly moments of hilarious authenticity, and there’s a great plot twist in a callback to an earlier anecdote, but for the most part, the graphic descriptions of momentary humiliation feel a little tired.

It's a shame because Ian is incredibly likeable. He bounds around the stage, all hair flicks (and, wow, what excellent hair) and overexaggerated gestures, his facial expressions – ranging from sweet to positively evil – are pitch perfect. There’s no doubt that as a performer, Ian truly shines. The final section of the show is easily the strongest part, with an element of audience interaction like you’ve never seen before. With fewer route one punchlines thrown into the mix, this could be a heart-warming, laugh out loud debut.

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David Ian: (Just A) Perfect Gay, Just the Tonic at The Caves (Just Up the Stairs), until 27 Aug, 9.05pm, £7-9