Entering her stage to the wretched lyrics of Robin Thicke’s ignominious ‘Blurred Lines’, Esther Manito starts to defend the song’s startling misogyny. It’s an endeavour that she quickly abandons lest it physically infect her. Despite this opening, #NotAllMen isn’t the radical call to arms that the title might suggest, although she does address toxic masculinity and coercive behaviour in an entertaining hour full of energy.

^{Pictures: Karla Gowlett}

The daughter of a ‘Geordie’ mother and an ‘Arab’ father, Manito has a distinct world view, not least when it comes to the abundance of fictional Middle-East countries in popular entertainment. Closer to home, she’s baffled by the behaviour of family members, including the way her ‘stalkery’ mother got together with her father by pursuing him across Beirut using all the guile of a secret agent. Manito is also incredulous that her Lebanese relatives simply cannot understand what it is she does for a living, as if being a comedian is an impossible concept to grasp.

There are splashes of theatricality to Manito’s act such as a perfectly timed stage exit, and the look in her eyes frequently betrays her assertions. Undeterred by the heat in one of the Fringe’s sweatiest rooms, Manito puts in a winningly physical performance dappled with moments of controlled mania.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 7.20pm.