Reginald D Hunter: The Only Apple in the Garden of Eden and Niggas

Guess what? Reginald D Hunter likes the word 'nigga'. Despite past controversy over his use of the word, it is back in the title of his latest show and he is not ashamed about it: "I just like the word, man".

Whether it’s a swear word or material on Jews, masturbation, diarrhoea, or pissing on prostitutes, Hunter likes to provoke a reaction. Strangely, given the majority of its content, the show always stops just short of the really offensive, thanks partly to Hunter’s butterscotch-smooth southern drawl and relaxed onstage demeanour.

He also likes to play on his position as the outsider. He is the American working in the UK, the black man who is not particularly pro-black, the straight guy who recognises that his proclivities could always change — he also used to be averse to broccoli. He is a distanced observer learning how to speak everyone’s language, which is the loose theme of the show.

Hunter is an engaging and personable performer, but at times the show depends more on his charisma than the strength of the material. There is a steady stream of chuckling rather than laugh-out-loud moments, and there doesn't seem to be quite enough material to satisfyingly fill the hour timeslot. But it is only the beginning of the run and Hunter is undeniably a master of the comedy circuit, prodding the audience over controversial issues and unapologetically bringing everything out of the closet. Just don’t compare him to Lenny Henry.