Pierre Novellie is a man of contradictions. Opening his set with the declaration that he will not discuss his background, he ends up spending a chunk of time doing just that. He fully acknowledges the problems with British culture but chose to live here, nonetheless; most notably, he is a stand-up who may make you question the very morality of watching stand-ups.  

In Why Are You Laughing?, Novellie’s observational comedy tackles big concepts such as what it means to be British along with small, personal anecdotes from his past. While some of this stuff is hardly groundbreaking (Brits are repressed?), he has an affable enough presence that allows him to pepper each bit with smirk-inducing jokes before the big punchline. What is remarkable, though, is how he eventually turns his observations inwards and manages to pose some interesting questions around our enjoyment of comedy. It is an unexpected note to end on which helps elevate everything before it. 

Pierre Novellie: Why Are You Laughing?, Monkey Barrel, until 27 August, 7.05pm.