Zainab Johnson @ Pleasance Courtyard

Zainab Johnson glides onto the stage, her flowing white robes giving her the appearance of an old-time preacher ready to proclaim the gospel. And preach Johnson does, albeit it’s a wild ride of a sermon, covering everything from Glock firearms to friendly opossums, with a nod to the dating game along the way.

As a Black Muslim American woman, references to race and misogyny are never far away in Johnson’s material. Yet she has a lightness of touch which never drags this into the realms of a lecture. It’s undoubtedly a show that might sit more naturally with an American audience; there are a few real culture clashes which prevent jokes from landing.

Johnson is a relatively old hand at stand-up, now nearly ten years into her professional career, and there’s a confidence to her delivery that puts the audience at ease straight away. She doesn’t get too drawn into extended crowdwork but is happy to involve the audience when it works for the gags.

Despite a set which takes in difficult subjects and is never afraid to challenge perceptions, this is fundamentally a show that is very funny. To say much more would be to give the game away, but Johnson is a master of the long pay-off, taking us down twisting rabbit holes and crazy wild goose chases before the unexpected punchline hits when you least expect it.

Johnson begins by telling us she has a gun, and by the end of the show, the audience has no doubts that she knows how to hit the target. To spend an hour in the company of someone who is clearly loving every minute of her show, gun poised, is a real pleasure.

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Zainab Johnson: Toxically Optimistic, Pleasance Courtyard (Above), until 24 Aug, 6.40pm, £10-17