The intimate space was packed with an enthusiastic crowd, a large portion of which appeared to know Tom. “Settle down,” he said to them when they began to laugh in anticipation of an anecdote, “some of these guys haven’t heard this one.” It’s a pity he acknowledged this so often, as it had the unfortunate effect of making other members of the audience feel excluded from the clique. In any case he had no need to excuse their hilarity at his jokes; it’s clear that even a crowd entirely unfamiliar with Tom and his Warrnambool milieu would delight in his material.

He’s also self-deprecating more often than he should be. “Tough crowd,” he said after a line fell flat – which it wasn’t. It was a very friendly crowd, and putting himself down only makes him look worse than he really is.

For the majority of his performance, however, Ballard’s demeanour was entirely confident. His easy patter sounds well-rehearsed but natural, and his show has pace, energy and enough structure to satisfy.