Who would’ve thought that sociology and comedy could go hand in hand? In the case of Russell Kane, it makes perfect sense. Like many comedians, much of his act is crafted around observations about people and how we behave in certain situations. Unlike most, however, Kane likes to keep it educational — he is able to back up his theories with scientific data.

Now this is a comedian who has done his research.

Barely hindered by a late start, Kane’s show lifted off at a frenetic pace, intertwining audience interaction with his theories about human behaviour and relationships. Human Dressage is a study of how we present ourselves: why are young men becoming so feminised? Why do older men take pride in not enjoying things? On a related note, will the older gentleman in the middle of the front row eventually crack? (He did, but it took a suggestion that he may be sympathetic towards John Jarratt’s character in Wolf Creek to do so).

Prancing around the stage, Kane kept the audience in stitches from beginning to end. The material presented the human dressage metaphor perfectly, and when the show was over we were left not only with smiles on our faces, but the feeling that we’d actually learned something, too.