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Dark comedy is an ideal accompaniment to righteousness, allowing comedians to inflict maximum damage on their targets without collapsing into preachy rhetoric. Richard Brown is more than aware of this in Horror Show, ploughing through maudlin material like he’s picking off a list of enemies. Few topics are left off the table in a set as virtuous as it is funny, tackling cancel culture, Facebook’s privacy settings, veganism and more, with pre-recorded skits sprinkled between stand-up segments. 

They’re talking points that Ricky Gervais would feast on, but Brown is a breed that’s increasingly rare in mainstream circles of comedy: a genuinely left-wing perspective that imbues grim gags with humanism and empathy, much like the similarly under-appreciated Michael Legge. His sinister approach to humour isn’t for everyone but, as an outsider who clearly views populism with disdain, that’s the point. For the lucky few who share his misanthropic mindset, this is a comedy goldmine. 

Monkey Barrel Niddry Street, until 28 August, 9.35pm.