A Complete History of Zack Adams must be seen by anyone who’s ever had a dream or just wants to know which word rhymes with ‘leotard’. This performer’s pathos-littered climb to superstardom starts at a year two assembly and crosses continence and continents, then ends a short but sweet hour later, leaving you wanting more.

According to his publicity, Adams is ‘a self-proclaimed visionary…possibly a genius’. He’s actually the creation of Western Australian actor Shane Adamczak, who lends his wide range, comic timing and suitably goofy physicality to Zack for the evening. For less than the price of a movie ticket you get a maudlin tutorial in stand-up, featuring music and partial nudity and touching on reality TV and interpretive dance for good measure. Bar Open’s cosy upstairs lounge allows a readily accessible performance for a receptive audience.

Throughout the show I found myself giggling along with everyone else. The only problem was that Zack is so endearingly clueless that laughing during this emotional rollercoaster occasionally felt like kicking a puppy (or clubbing a baby seal), especially when you know so many other ‘Zacks’ are out there. Schadenfreude aside, this character’s appeal shines through Adamczak’s earnest yet well-controlled performance.

If you’ve ever felt out of your depth (Who hasn’t?), you’ll find this show and its resolution uplifting. Here’s hoping Zack’s next show provides a couple more guilt-free laughs??although with the promise of ‘both ninjas and robots’, who could resist?

Finished reading this article? You might also like:

• Ladies Corner: Christina Adams
• Christina Adams: Alive in Madagascar
• Dr Earnest Parrot presents Demetri Martin