There’s nothing more frustrating than a funny person with a funny story letting themselves down with shaky delivery. James Dowdeswell is a wonderful storyteller, which makes No More Mr Nice Guy a seamlessly enjoyable show. Dowdeswell’s performance is a success, in part, because he is able to move between his gags and anecdotes with consummate ease. There are no forced segueways, no jarring leaps from one topic to another – just 55 minutes of gently self-deprecating humour executed with natural smoothness.

Dowdeswell is a nice guy. It’s obvious within minutes that this isn’t a persona manufactured to base a show around, and his indisputable likeability makes the subject material all the more enjoyable. It also makes it easy to believe (in fact impossible not to) that the stories he’s telling are true, allowing the audience to invest more in them.

An English comic who has been living in Melbourne for a period of a few months, Dowdeswell really excels when touching on his time in Victoria. He has already developed an admirable familiarity with the city and its streets and uses this to give his performance an extra dimension. There aren’t many comedians who can genuinely nail the home town gag.

If I had a complaint, it would be that some of his material lacks edge. It’s never mundane, but there’s a fine line between gentle and tame, which isn’t always successfully negotiated. That said, this is a show that I can highly recommend.