Charlie Pickering is not so much a stand-up comedian as a gifted raconteur. The subject of this evening’s recitation is Frank, Pickering’s grandfather. Narrating through a potted family history, personal anecdotes and seedy asides, he paints a loving portrait of Frank, whilst simultaneously basking in every opportunity to sketch a disparagingly black picture of his own exploits.

The Audacity of Frank has been scripted and directed to within an inch of its life, leaving a finely tuned machine of laughter. Such analytical precision has left little room for improvisation, which is a huge shame as Pickering excels while ad-libbing. These issues wouldn’t have been noticeable had he not opened the show with outstanding audience interaction, deftly riffing with members of the front row. Audiences like to feel the show they are watching is unique, and in this respect Pickering should allow himself more room to digress in search of these special moments.

Once into the scripted material though, the show really does set a cracking pace. Jumping from topic to topic, Pickering has become edgier with his material and it pays off. Allowing the subject matter to wander off like into tangents, unconstrained by the requisite comedy festival ‘theme’ has freed the show, and Pickering himself, to explore other facets of his comic potential.

Pickering is a very gifted storyteller, assured in his talents, and he never falters in his constant delivery of jokes. Rarely was there a gag that missed its mark. Every year his show is a sell-out, so if you can lay your hands on tickets do go, you won’t regret it.