Vir Das @ Pleasance Dome

Many of tonight's audience know precisely who Vir Das is – he's a phenomenon in his native India, albeit with controversy following him at every turn. He's a comedian who has never shied away from his principles, choosing instead to make them central riffs in his show. Tonight he swings from thoughtful philosophy to jokes about HIV and depression, without ever alienating a crowd which is loudly willing him on.

His subject matter runs riot through a series of asides and tangents, from confusing Hitler's dog to sending in Taylor Swift fans to solve the war in Gaza. Global themes blend seamlessly with personal reflections, as he battles racist airline staff and suspicious government officials on one hand, while talking his way out of an acid-fuelled car trip with the next breath.

There are elements which might sail over the heads of some in the audience, though they thrill his Indian fans. However, even the most colloquial of Mumbai in-jokes is easy to laugh along with given the context. It would be a shame if Das felt he had to tailor his act too much to western ears. 

In the end it's the sense of a universal collectiveness which spurs Das on. He wants us to find common ground. In this spirit of goodwill to all men, he cracks jokes involving Scotland and England, India and Pakistan, Mexican kitchen staff and malevolent therapists. It could be corny or trite in the hands of a less generous comedian, but the manner in which Das leads his audience with him, literally standing in their midst at one point, lends a level of humanity to the show which wraps up laughs, loves, and a little light ribbing at Gen-Z attention spans.

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Vir Das: The Fool, Pleasance Dome (King Dome), until 25 Aug (not 20, 22), 8pm, £13-16