It can’t be easy performing to three charity workers, your own dad, a reviewer and a dog. That might sound like the set-up to a decidedly poor joke, but it was the stark reality of this evening. At the tender age of 23, Rhys Mathewson has been up on stages doing comedy for eight years (once you do some maths on that, it’s an impressive statistic) and he seems to have very little fear doing his thing in front of a potentially awkward crowd. Only problem is, his thing still seems to be a bit on the wayward side.

His Hombre Lobo hour is about him trying to change his ways (quite a clever title that, as it’s Spanish for ‘werewolf’ and, well, he is quite a hairy man) but he seems reticent to believe in any of his own opinions and admits that they are essentially worthless.

There are many professions for which this would be an honourable position, but a crowd really needs to have total faith in their act, and adopting such a stance merely unsettles any confidence we have in him or his stories. The young, UK-based Kiwi comic is a charmingly likeable guy and with some stiffer writing will pull off a good Fringe show soon. And if he can be as comfortable in front of hundreds as he was to half a dozen (pooch included), he’ll go far.

Pleasance Courtyard, run ended.